eafrzcat 


UCSB 


LESTER  WALLACK   in   "The  Veteran.' 


THEATRICAL  SKETCHES 


HERE  AND  THERE  WITH 

PROMINENT  ACTORS 


MARGARET 


1  For  they  are  the  abstract  and  brief  chronicles  of  the  time." 

—Hamlet. 


WTLSGAT'Q 


NEW  YORK 

THE    MERRIAM    COMPANY 
67  FIFTH  AVENUE. 


COPYRIGHT,  1894, 

PY 

THE  MERRIAM  COMPANY 


TO  THE 
.MEMORY    OF    THE    LATE 

tester  IdaUacft, 

THIS 
LITTLE   VOLUME   IS   DEDICATED 

BY   ITS   AUTHOR 

IN  RECOGNITION  OF  HIS  HAVING  BEEN 
THE  FIRST  TO   ENCOURAGE  HER 

IX  THE 
USE  OF  HER  PEN. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGB 

Lester  Wallack  Averse  to  the  Stage.     His  Ad- 
vice to  a  Young  Lady 9 

A  Glimpse  of  the  Domestic  Life  of  Edwin 
Booth 15 

The  History  of  an  Unproduced  Play 19 

Louis  James  in  Comedy 39 

The  Tragedian  and  the  Rubber  Band 44 

Characteristic  of  Maurice  Barrymore 54 

A  Dispute  Preceding  the  Professional  Debut  of 

Mrs.  James  Brown  Potter 57 

Annoyances  Attending   a  Theatrical    Benefit 

Performance 69 

Reminiscent  of  the  Vokes  Family ,     88 

Could  Kyrle  Bellew  be  Considered  Vain  ? 100 

Mr.  Bellew  Married  or  Single 103 

The  Stage  of  Indifference.     Some  Lines  In- 
spired by  a  Farce-Comedy 107 


VI  CONTENTS. 


PAGE 


Incidents  in  the  World  of  Music — Brigiioli, 
Kellogg,  Campanini,  Lillian  Russell,  Carl 

Streitmann  and  others Ill 

Mr.  Henry  Irving's  "  Lyceum  Theatre  "  Court.  132 
Adonis  Dixey's  Offhand  Estimate  of  Himself . .  135 
A  Playwright's  Interview  with  the  Mansfields.  136 
A  Realistic  Dream  of  the  Late  Lester  Wallack.  139 

Signor  Brignoli  on  a  Railway  Train 149 

James  W.  Morrissey's  Musical  Congress  Under 

the  Patronage  of  Dom  Pedro  II  151 

Letter  and  Lines  from  Louis  James 156 

The  Influence  exercised  by  a  White  Satin  Tea- 
Gown  upon  the  Opening  of  a  Theatre  ....  161 

Whistling  as  a  Fine  Art 175 

The  Drawing-room  Entertainer  with  Profes- 
sional Aspirations 181 

A  First  Experience  with  a  Busy  Manager  of 

Burlesque 190 

Jottings 196 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Lester  Wallack  in  "  The  Veteran". .  .Frontispiece. 

Edwin  Booth  in  "  Hamlet " Facing  page    17 

Louis  James  in  '•  Yirginius " "          "      48 

Kyrle  Bellew "          "      97 

Dion  Boucicault  in  ' '  The  Shaugh- 

raun" "          "129 

James  W.  Morrissey "          "     145 

Maurice  Barrymore "          "     188 


THEATRICAL  SKETCHES. 


Xester  TJQallach  averse  to  tbe  Stage.    Dte 
B&vfce  to  a  loung 


A  YOUNG  girl  received  some  advice 
from  the  late  Lester  Wallack  one  even- 
ing that  seemed  somewhat  surprising 
in  view  of  his  lifelong  association  with 
theatricals.  I  must  first,  however,  re- 
late a  comical  prelude. 

The  young  girl  referred  to  was  in- 
vited to  dine  at  the  house  of  a  friend, 
without  having  an  idea  of  whom  she 
was  to  meet.  The  hour  appointed  for 
dinner  was  seven. 

On  the  night  designated  the  rain  de- 
scended in  torrents,  and  the  carriage 
which  was  to  take  her  to  dinner  did  not 
make  its  appearance  until  ten  minutes 


10  THEATRICAL  SKETCHES. 

before  seven.  When  it  drew  up  before 
her  door  it  proved  to  be  a  covered  lan- 
dau, into  which  the  young  lady,  clad  in 
long  cloak  and  pink  silk  hood,  hastily 
entered,  directing  the  coachman,  as  she 
did  so,  to  drive  at  the  top  of  his  speed. 

The  coachman  obeyed  orders,  and  as 
they  swayed  over  the  car  tracks  from 
one  side  of  Broadway  to  the  other,  the 
roof  of  the  landau  suddenly  unlocked 
and  fell  open,  leaving  the  young  woman 
exposed  to  the  storm.  There  was  no 
time  to  lose,  so,  without  disturbing  the 
driver,  she  opened  her  umbrella  and  sat 
calmly  up  in  her  large  open  carriage, 
the  observed  of  all  observers. 

Arriving  at  their  destination  the  coach- 
man was  greatly  surprised  on  becoming 
aware  of  what  had  occurred  "  behind  his 
back,"  but  not  stopping  to  bandy  words 
the  girl  ran  quickly  into  the  house  and 
disencumbered  herself  of  her  damp  outer 
garments. 

As  she  entered  the  drawing-room  she 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  11 

found  thirteen  persons  awaiting  her. 
Foremost  among  them  was  Lester 
Wallack,  his  monocle  in  his  eye,  and  a 
quizzical  expression  behind  it.  "  Well, 
young  lady,"  he  remarked,  '"'  for  the 
youngest  and  smallest  of  the  party  you 
are  doing  remarkably  well.  We  await 
your  pleasure,"  at  the  same  time  mak- 
ing her  a  sweeping  bow. 

Though  the  position  was  one  to  cause 
an  older  heart  to  quake,  the  girl  decided 
to  "go  in"  with  a  dash  and  make  the 
best  of  it,  and  accordingly  described  her 
late  experience  with  such  humorous  real- 
ism that  the  guests,  who  also  included 
the  late  Dion  Boucicault,  were  more  than 
mollified  and  amused.  At  the  close  of 
her  recital  Wallack  ejaculated,  "  Brava  ! 
little  one  ;  well  done  around  ;  there'll  be 
the  making  of  a  good  actress  in  you  some 
day." 

At  the  dinner  table,  however,  Mr. 
Wallack  gravely  set  to  work  to  disabuse 
her  mind  of  the  idea. 


12  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

"  But  are  you  not  fond  of  your  pro- 
fession, Mr.  Wallack  ? "  asked  she,  in 
some  surprise.  ' '  No, "  replied  Wallack, 
"  I  detest  acting  and  always  have.  Never 
allow  yourself,"  he  added,  "to  be  per- 
suaded to  adopt  the  life.  A  man  may 
be  able  to  stand  it,  but  absolutely  the 
stage  is  no  place  for  a  woman,  and  more 
particularly  when  the  woman  happens 
to  be  a  lady." 

At  the  same  dinner  the  conversation 
having  turned  upon  stageland  in  gen- 
eral, and  prevailing  salaries  in  partic- 
ular, Dion  Boucicault^  remarked  in  his 
unctuous  brogue,  "Ah!  but  the  young- 
sters now-a-days  prefer  grumbling  to 
working  ;  no  matter  for  his  qualifica- 
tions, each  one  seems  to  be  satisfied 
with  nothing  less  for  his  recompense 
than  the  salary  of  a  'leading  man." 
Continuing,  he  said:  "What  could 
they  have  made  of  the  old  days,  I 
wonder,  when  it  sometimes  cost  a  young 
buck  anywhere  from  £1  10s.  for  the 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  13 

honor  of  walking  as  Hamlet's  ghost, 
£1  to  preside  as  first  grave-digger,  and 
so  on,  in  proportion  ? " 

The  smallness  of  Mr.  Boucicault's  ap- 
petite then  became  a  subject  of  remark, 
as  such  personal  matters  will,  in  the 
case  of  distinguished  persons,  large  cups 
of  black  coffee  seeming  to  take  the  place 
of  the  usual  courses.  When  appealed 
to,  Boucicault  acknowledged  that  he  ate 
comparatively  little,  working  and  exist- 
ing largely  upon  black  coffee. 

The  talk  veering  round  to  "proper- 
ties," costuming  etc.,  Boucicault  was 
asked  where  he  had  raised  the  outfit  so 
truly  appropriate  that  he  had  worn  as 
Con  in  "  TheShaughraun."  At  this  he 
indulged  in  a  smile,  called  forth  by  some 
amusing  reminiscence,  accompanied  by 
that  inimitable  twinkle  of  merriment 
that  was  never  long  absent  from  his 
eyes.  ' '  And  well  may  you  inquire, "  he 
responded,  "  for  I  had  been  so  busy  with 
the  rehearsing  and  setting  of  the  piece 


14  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

that,  up  to  within  a  few  days  of  its  pro- 
duction, I  was  in  as  blessed  a  state  of 
ignorance  as  to  what  me  own  trappings 
would  be  as  you  were  likely  to  be 
yourselves  ;  but  as  it  finally  occurred 
to  me  that  I'd  have  to  wear  something, 
I  explored  the  trunks  and  closets  con- 
taining the  old  stage  wardrobe  at 
Wallack's,  and  I  finally  fished  out  a 
disreputable  red  coat,  formerly  the 
property  of  John  Brougham,  so  I  just 
borrowed  it  for  old  acquaintance'  sake 
and  I  had  never  another  one  to  me  back 
during  the  entire  run  of  the  piece/' 

In  reference  to  Mr.  Boucicault  as  an 
author,  it  is  a  fact  that  for  many  years 
there  was  never  a  night  but  that  one  or 
other  of  the  four  hundred  and  odd  plays 
which  this  wonderfully  clever  man  had 
originated  or  adapted  was  being  pre- 
sented in  some  portion  of  the  English- 
speaking  world. 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  15 


a  <3limpse  of  tbe  Domestic  Xife  of  Bowin 
JBootb. 

THAT  part  of  the  community  who 
only  knew  the  late  Edwin  Booth  as  our 
country's  most  celebrated  actor  would 
probably  have  experienced  surprise  had 
they  obtained  a  glimpse  of  his  domestic 
life  with  the  second  Mrs.  Booth — to 
have  witnessed  the  meekness  of  manner, 
you  might  say,  with  which  he  complied 
with  her  suggestions.  That  last,  how- 
ever, is  scarcely  the  word  for  the  place,  as 
she  was  usually  in  the  imperative  mood. 

The  Mrs.  Booth  I  refer  to  was  one  of 
the  most  extraordinarily  small  and  pre- 
cise of  women,  and  it  was  difficult  for 
the  observer  to  discover  wherein  lay 
her  attraction  for  the  great  actor,  like- 
wise her  claim  to  such  absolute  control 
as  she  practised  over  her  family. 


16  THEATRICAL  SKETCHES. 

As  an  instance  of  the  latter  I  may 
cite  the  following,  which  occurred 
nightly,  and  with  absolute  regularity, 
at  a  summer  resort  where  a  number  of 
people,  including  the  Booths,  were  pass- 
ing a  part  of  the  season. 

Miss  Booth  would  possibly  be  engaged 
conversing  with  some  of  her  acquaint- 
ances, Mr.  Booth  immersed  in  a  book. 
On  the  stroke  of  ten,  Mrs.  Booth,  with 
index  finger  pointing  dramatically  at 
the  clock,  would  enunciate  warningly 
the  single  word— 

"Edwina." 

Without  an  instant's  hesitation,  Miss 
Booth  would  bid  her  friends  good-night 
and  retire. 

In  possibly  half  an  hour's  time,  Mrs. 
Booth,  in  the  same  warning  voice,  would 
remark  : 

"Mr.  Booth." 

Booth,  glancing  dreamily  up  from  his 
book,  would  regard  the  small  lady  for 
an  instant  as  if  gradually  collecting 


EDWIN    BOOTH   in   "Hamlet." 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  17 

himself  from  some  other  sphere,  and 
then,  as  obediently  as  Edwina,  he  would 
gravely  bid  good- night  to  those  present, 
and  likewise  retire. 

All  his  life  Mr.  Booth  seems  to  have 
evinced  a  general  desire  to  evade  no- 
toriety, except  that  which  came  to  him 
through  his  legitimate  profession. 

There  probably  never  existed  a  time, 
after  his  fame  as  an  artist  was  estab- 
lished, when  he  could  not,  had  he  so  de- 
sired, have  been  the  social  lion  in  what- 
ever portion  of  this  great  country  he 
chanced  to  be.  But  countless  induce- 
ments were  but  proffered  him  in  vain  ; 
lie  seldom  gave  them  very  much  heed, 
and  only  seemed  really  to  live  while 
upon  the  stage. 

As  a  young  man,  he  would  receive 
notes  of  adulation  almost  by  the  bushel 
basket  from  the  fair  ones  who  could  no 
longer  mask  the  feelings  he  inspired  in 
them,  but  they  were  rarely  even  pe- 
rused ;  in  fact,  I  fear  the  only  answer- 

M 


18  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

ing  emotion  they  called  forth  was  one 
of  contempt. 

In  his  life  there  was  just  one  house  in 
New  York  where  the  great  actor  could 
be  induced  to  spend  a  social  evening  ; 
and  yet,  so  far  as  he  was  concerned,  you 
could  scarcely  term  it  that,  for  the  rea- 
son he  frankly  gave  for  coming  was 
that  his  hostess  allowed  him  to  do  as 
he  pleased  ;  which  was  to  listen  to  the 
good  music  usually  provided  and  of 
which  he  was  very  fond,  to  wander 
about  the  rooms  watching  and  studying 
the  faces  and  actions  of  those  present, 
and  above  all  not  to  have  introduced  to 
him  any  of  the  numerous  guests  who 
were  but  too  eager  to  exchange  a  few 
words  with  "  Edwin  Booth." 

In  fact,  it  was  curious  to  contemplate 
this  silent,  rather  melancholy,  dark-eyed 
man,  to  whom  every  one  wished  to  pa}* 
court,  persistently  denying  himself  to 
them  ;  who  was  sometimes  moving  in 
the  throng,  but  never  of  it. 


THEATRICAL  SKETCHES.  19 


t>tetorB  of  an  "dnpro&ucefc  pta£. 


Is  there  another  profession  or  business 
so  productive  of  uncertainty  and 
"  hope  deferred,"  as  that  of  the  play- 
wright ?  A  play  may  seem  to  possess, 
and  be  acknowledged  to  have  every  re- 
quisite for  success,  and  yet,  for  reasons 
unaccountable,  it  may  never  see  the 
light  of  day,  or,  more  correctly  speak- 
ing, the  glare  of  the  footlights.  With 
this  and  other  knowledge,  it  is  frequent- 
ly amusing,  though,  in  the  case  of  a 
person  interested,  sometimes  irritating 
as  well,  to  be  regaled  with  the  ideas  of 
those  who  have  not  pierced  the  intrica- 
cies and  bewildering  unexpectedness  of 
the  dramatic  maze.  The  latter  will 
speak  of  "writing  a  play,"  and  "taking 
it  to  this  or  that  manager  for  produc- 


20  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

tion,"  as  though  "  A,  B,  C,"were  com- 
plex by  comparison. 

For  the  benefit  then  of  the  uninitiated, 
I  will  recount  the  adventures,  from  its 
inception  up  to  date,  of  one  play  coming 
within  my  experience.  An  unproduced 
one  as  yet,  though  meantime,  possibly, 
hundreds  of  others  may  have  been 
brought  before  the  public  containing 
not  one-sixth  of  its  claim  to  interest  and 
consideration. 

In  this  instance  an  adverse  fate  seems 
to  be  the  only  feasible  explanation,  still, 
/  it  is  difficult  to  determine. 

A  few  years  since,  Miss  Marie  Wain- 
wright,  Mr.  Louis  James  and  a  friend 
of  theirs,  a  playwright,  were  engaged  one 
afternoon  in  an  animated  conversation 
relative  to  the  writing  of  plays,  the  sub- 
jects of  superlative  interest  for  the 
plots  of  the  same,  and  that  most  un- 
certain of  all  quantities,  the  ' '  public 
taste."  They  happened  at  the  time  to 
be  seated  in  Miss  Wainwright's  parlor 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  21 

at  the  "  Gilsey  House"  (New  York),  and 
the  discussion  waxing  strong  at  the 
point  of  the  selection  of  plots,  the  actress 
rose,  and  picking  up  a  volume  from  the 
centre-table,  handed  it  to  the  play- 
wright suggesting  the  reading  of  it 
without  delay,  and  adding  that  while  it 
was  not  necessary  to  make  an  adapta- 
tion of  it,  which  indeed  would  hardly  be 
possible  for  the  American  stage,  that  it 
was,  from  her  point  of  view,  one  of  the 
most  exciting  and  dramatic  French 
novels  she  had  ever  read,  and,  in  any 
event,  could  not  fail  to  suggest  unique 
ideas  to  the  author. 

The  latter  accepted  the  book,  and  fol- 
lowed Miss  Wainwright's  advice  in 
reading  it  almost  immediately,  and,  after 
careful  consideration,  decided  upon  the 
combination  of  some  original  ideas 
made  possible  by  the  story,  and  a  certain 
number  of  those  contained  in  the  book, 
feeling  assured  thereby  of  a  more  than 


22  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

ordinarily  strong  foundation  upon  which 
to  build  a  play. 

After  some  months  of  labor  the  work 
was  completed  and  ready  for  inspection, 
when  its  travels  commenced,  and  sy- 
nonymously the  trials  of  the  author.  At 
the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Arthur  Wallack 
(the  late  Lester  Wallack's  eldest  son), 
who  happened  to  be  the  first  to  peruse 
the  MS.,  certain  portions  of  the  piece 
here  and  there  were  revised,  and  after 
this  was  accomplished,  Mr.  James  W. 
Morrissey's  was  the  first  managerial 
ear  to  be  engaged  in  a  hearing  of  the 
same. 

Nothing  could  have  been  more  satis- 
factory or  encouraging  than  his  enthu- 
siastic expressions  and  criticisms  in 
regard  to  it.  He  formulated  various 
plans  for  its  production  on  the  instant, 
subsequently  making  most  vigorous 
efforts  to  realize  them  ;  but  they  were 
not  destined  to  be  successful,  and  mean- 
time the  playwright  one  morning  met 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.    -  23 

that  most  illustrious  and  charming 
actress,  Mrs.  D.  P.  Bowers,  and  was 
questioned  by  her  in  reference  to  this 
latest  work. 

After  listening  to  a  resume  of  the 
piece,  she  made  arrangements  to  have  it 
read  to  her,  saying  she  was  "  on  the 
lookout  for  a  new  play,  and  so  far  this 
one  seemed  likely  to  interest  her." 
Accordingly,  the  following  day  the 
reading  took  place,  after  which  she  dis- 
cussed the  work  from  beginning  to 
end,  expressing  herself  as  thoroughly 
pleased,  and  complimenting  the  author 
in  the  highest  terms.  Finally,  to  bring 
the  affair  to  a  business  basis,  she  said 
she  had  heard  nothing  so  strong  and 
so  apparently  fitted  to  make  a  success 
for  her  since  she  had  starred  "  East 
Lyiirie  ;  "  further  stating  that  if  Mr. 
A.  M.  Palmer  would  arrange  to  "send 
her  out "  with  the  necessary  "backing  " 
she  would  take  the  piece  "  on  the  road  " 
without  delay.  All  that  had  so  far 


24  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

transpired  in  relation  to  it  was  of  suffi- 
ciently brilliant  promise  to  make  the 
playwright  feel  convinced  that  the  prop- 
erty now  under  consideration  was  liable 
to  realize  a  brilliant  result  at  almost 
any  moment.  A  slight  drop  in  the 
barometer  was  experienced  later,  when 
it  was  ascertained  that  Mrs.  Bowers'  ef- 
forts to  obtain  her ' '  backing  "  had  proved 
futile  ;  theatrical  business  was  not  good 
at  the  time,  and  Mr.  Palmer  did  not 
feel  in  condition  to  risk  the  necessary 
funds. 

Later  on  in  the  season  when  Miss 
Wainwright  and  Mr.  James  came  to 
New  York  to  fulfil  their  annual  theat- 
rical engagement,  the  product  of  their 
suggestions  was  read  to  them,  and  both 
pronounced  it  one  of  the  strongest 
pieces  to  which  they  had  ever  listened, 
writing  letters  to  the  author  to  that 
effect,  and  regretting  at  the  same  time 
the  fact  of  their  being  "billed  "  to  play 
in  the  "  legitimate  '"  only,  thus  prevent- 


THEATKICAL   SKETCHES.  25 

ing  their  presenting  the  play  to  the 
public  themselves. 

The  playwright  now  decided  to  test 
the  practical  merits  of  the  piece  by  giv- 
ing it  at  a  trial  matinee,  and  with  this 
purpose  in  view  took  it  to  Mr.  H.  B. 
Taylor,  conducting  "Taylor's  Theatri- 
cal Exchange,"  desiring  him  to  take 
charge  of  the  business  management  of 
the  affair,  getting  the  " cast  "  together, 
etc. 

Mr.  Taylor  was  willing  to  undertake 
the  matter,  opining  that  the  play  would 
be  a  success,  and  "  there  would  be 
money  in  it." 

It  was  decided  to  hire  the  "  Madison 
Square  Theatre,"  then  under  the  man- 
agement of  Mr.  Palmer,  for  the  repre- 
sentation ;  and  as  it  was  the  rule  that  all 
plays  produced  at  Mr.  Palmer's  theatre 
should  pass  under  his  scrutiny  for 
several  reasons,  the  chief  est  among  them 
being  that  he  should  find  them  fitting 
in  all  respects,  it  was  taken  to  him  for 


26  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

perusal.  Within  twenty-four  hours 
the  playwright  called  for  the  play  and 
the  verdict,  to  find  that  Mr.  Palmer  and 
his  "reader"  had  meantime  made 
themselves  familiar  with  its  contents 
and  were  more  than  favorably  disposed 
towards  it,  Mr.  Palmer's  only  objection 
being  that  it  seemed  to  him  too  strong 
at  that  period  for  the  taste  of  a  public 
that  only  seemed  to  be  gratified  by 
farce-comedy  and  burlesque.  However, 
this  was  only  a  suggestion  of  possible 
taste,  the  arrangements  torihematin&e 
were  begun.  The  first  person  engaged 
for  the  company  was  Mr.  Maurice  Bar- 
rymore,  to  enact  the  leading  male  role. 
Upon  hearing  the  play  read  he  was 
enthusiastic  in  regard  to  it,  and  also 
more  than  ordinarily  interested  by  a 
certain  coincidence  relating  to  it.  It 
seems  the  French  novel  that  had  afford- 
ed the  author  the  nucleus  of  the  plot 
had  at  one  period  attracted  his  attention 
also  ;  in  fact,  he  had  been  so  impressed 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  27 

with  its  strong  dramatic  qualities  that 
he  had  himself  essayed  to  found  a  play 
upon  it,  but,  according  to  his  own  ac- 
count, had  failed  to  be  satisfied  with  the 
result,  and  now  that  he  had  chanced 
upon  the  same  idea  worked  out  to  his 
liking,  he  was  more  than  willing  to 
undertake  the  designated  rdle. 

While  the  present  phase  in  the  fort- 
unes of  the  play  was  pending,  Mr. 
Alexander  Salvini  walked  into  Mr. 
Taylor's  office  one  afternoon  when  the 
latter  was  conducting  a  business  inter- 
view with  the  author,  and  being  in- 
structed as  to  the  subject,  and  thereby 
becoming  somewhat  interested,  it  was 
suggested  he  should  read  the  play  and 
submit  his  opinion  of  it. 

He  took  the  MS.  wTith  him,  and  in. 
the  course  of  a  day  or  two  returned  with 
it,  saying  that  he  was  most  favorably 
impressed  with  the  plot,  its  strength, 
and  so  on,  and  believed  it  had  every 
chance  of  success.  It  was  not  in.  the 


28  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

line  of  the  plays  in  his  repertoire,  and, 
therefore,  as  there  would  be  some  risk 
for  him  in  producing  it,  he  would  not 
like  to  undertake  the  entire  responsibil" 
ity,  but  if  the  author  would  advance 
the  funds  for  the  first  week's  production, 
he  would  guarantee  the  second  week,  at 
the  end  of  which  time  it  could  be  deter- 
mined if  the  play  would  carry  itself 
and  be  in  for  a  "run." 

The  author,  however,  would  not  con- 
sent to  this,  for  the  piece  having  already 
received  the  cachet  of  so  many  dis- 
tinguished people  in  the  profession,  it 
seemed  as  though  much  better  terms 
should  be  demanded  for  it. 

The  latter  was  apparently  justified  in 
these  views,  as  within  a  day  or  two  Mr. 
James  Barton  Key,  upon  hearing  of  the 
play  and  learning  its  plot,  became  posi- 
tively excited  over  it. 

"  Why,"  said  he,  "  it  is  most  remark- 
able that  I  should  finally  run  across  this 
piece.  For  six  years  past  I  have  been 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  29 

enthusiastic  over  the  book  that  suggest- 
ed it,  and  could  not  for  the  life  of  me 
understand  why  some  one  did  not  recog- 
nize its  possibilities  and  make  a  play  of 
it.  A  trial  matinee!"  he  ejaculated 
to  the  author  in  a  tone  of  disgust. 
''No — you  must  not  dream  of  it,  the 
piece  is  far  too  good  to  run  the  chance  of 
ruining  it  in  any  such  fashion.  It 
must  be  properly  produced  for  a  '  run,' 
and  I'll  undertake  to  do  it." 

Fired  by  Mr.  Key's  enthusiasm,  the 
author  put  a  stop  to  all  further  prepara- 
tions for  a  matinee,  and  entered  into 
work  with  him  in  dead  earnest,  to  fulfil 
their  contemplated  arrangements  for  a 
production. 

Mr.  Barrymore  was  held  for  the  lead- 
ing role  as  before  ;  Mr.  E.  J.  Henly  en- 
gaged to  personate  the  "polished  vil- 
lain," and  the  cast  in  general  was  an 
exceptionally  good  one. 

After  the  expenditure  of  much  time 
and  energy,  Mr.  Key  succeeded  in  find- 


30  THEATRICAL    SKETCHES. 

ing  a  man  who  was  willing  to  ' '  back  " 
the  enterprise,  that  is,  guarantee  the 
expenses  for  three  weeks.  The  next 
step  was  to  obtain  a  desirable  theatre, 
an  exceedingly  difficult  matter  in  New 
York,  by  the  way,  towards  the  end  of  a 
theatrical  season. 

None  were  found  available  until  a 
consultation  with  Mr.  Henry  Miner  re- 
vealed the  fact  that  it  might  be  possible 
to  "book  "  time  at  the  "Fifth  Avenue," 
of  which  he  had  the  management,  if  a 
certain  "star,"  who  had  been  vacillat- 
ing in  the  matter,  could  be  persuaded 
to  cancel  her  engagement. 

Under  the  circumstances,  Mr.  Key 
regarded  the  selection  of  a  theatre  as 
settled,  and  went  on  perfecting  the  rest 
of  his  arrangements. 

Some  very  handsome  scenery  and  fur- 
niture, in  storage  for  debt,  and  that 
had  been  used  in  one  of  Mrs.  Potter's 
plays,  was  secured  ;  in  fact,  everything 
seemed  to  "  move  on  wheels."  The 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  31 

messages  exchanged  between  the  "star" 
and  the  manager  were  eminently  satis- 
factory until  within  a  comparatively 
short  period  of  the  date  set  for  the 
"opening  night,"  when  this  "star," 
making  use  of  the  prerogative  of  her 
sex,  suddenly  upset  the  calculations  of 
every  one  by  telegraphing  that  she  had 
decided  after  all  to  play  her  three  weeks 
in  Xew  York. 

There  was  no  other  theatre  to  be  had, 
and  by  the  time  there  would  be  one 
vacant  the  hot  weather  would  be  too 
far  advanced  to  make  the  attempt 
feasible  or  practical. 

The  playwright  and  Mr.  Key  were 
obliged  to  stand  this  blow  as  best  they 
could,  and  turn  their  attention  and 
efforts  elsewhere. 

The  latter  subsequently  sent  an  aspir- 
ing and  handsome  young  actress,  em- 
anating from  the  west,  to  the  author,  with 
word  that,  should  the  play  suit  her,  she 
would  have  unlimited  money  to  spend 


32  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

on  its  production.  The  play  did  suit 
her,  with  the  exception  that  she  desired 
the  part  of  the  heroine  to  be  still  further 
emphasized  if  possible. 

The  author  succeeded  in  accomplish- 
ing this,  and  greatly  improving  the 
piece  generally  at  the  same  time,  but 
when  everything  was  again  in  readi- 
ness, the  affluent  young  actress  had 
become  a  poor  young  actress.  Her 
'•  backer  "  having  vanished,  and  in  place 
of  securing  a  permanency  for  herself 
amidst  the  constellations,  she  was  per- 
force contented  to  take  a  third-rate 
position  in  a  "stock"  company. 

Upon  the  return  of  Mr.  Louis  James 
to  New  York  at  the  close  of  the  sea- 
son, he  made  haste  to  visit  the  author 
to  say  that  during  these  intervening 
months,  the  play  had  so  haunted  him, 
and  he  had  become  so  convinced  that  it 
was  "  a  good  thing,"  that  he  had  about 
decided  to  alter  his  policy,  that  is, 
abandon  the  "legitimate"  for  the  fol- 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  33 

lowing  season,  and  arrange  to  take  the 
piece  "out." 

He  took  the  MS.  away  with  him, 
becoming  more  and  more  impressed 
with  it,  pencilling  out  his  scenes  and 
the  "business"  in  preparation  for  a 
production.  No  contracts  had  yet  been 
signed,  however,  and  meantime  Mr. 
Morrissey  had  made  several  engage- 
ments with  Miss  Eose  Coghlan  to  hear 
the  play  read.  One  circumstance  after 
another  arose  to  prevent  this  latter, 
and  at  last  the  minds  of  every  one  con- 
cerned were  put  at  rest  by  Mr.  James' 
assurance  that  the  matter,  as  far  as  he 
was  concerned,  might  be  regarded  as 
settled. 

Such  proved  not  to  be  the  case,  for  the 
following  day  came  a  hurried  note  from 
the  tragedian  saying  he  regretted,  as 
much  as  possibly  the  author  would,  not 
being  able  to  produce  the  piece,  his 
role  in  it  being  delightfully  adapted  to 
him,  but  that  he  had  just  received  an 

o 


84  THEATRICAL    SKETCHES. 

offer  from  Mr.  Frederick  "Warde  with 
which  he  had  closed,  and  their  repertoire 
would  continue  to  embrace  only  the 
"  legitimate."  One  of  the  principal 
reasons  he  assigned  for  the  change  was 
that  the  responsibility  of  management 
would  thus  be  lifted  off  his  hands.  As 
time  went  on,  several  of  the  lesser  lights 
read  and  approved  the  play,  but  never 
found  themselves  in  condition  to  raise 
the  necessary  funds  for  production,  and 
during  this  lull,  as  it  were,  Mrs.  Bowers 
sent  another  request  that  the  play  should 
be  read  to  her,  as  she  thought  there  was 
once  more  some  possibility  of  her  obtain- 
ing a  "backer  ;  "  but  for  the  second  time 
she  failed  in  accomplishing  this. 

Miss  Emily  Rigl  was  the  next  "  star '' 
on  the  tapis  to  become  interested,  but 
the  "backing, "or  rather  the  lack  of  it, 
played  its  usual  part  of  stumbling-block. 

Personally  Miss  Rigl  makes  it  a  point 
never  to  risk  anything,  and,  at  the  time, 
no  one  could  be  found  who  would  risk 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  35 

for  her,  so  it  went  on  to  the  next,  who 
proved  to  be  Mr.  E.  J.  Henley.  He  hav- 
ing heard  considerable  of  the  piece,  and 
having  been  engaged  to  act  in  it,  though 
so  far  not  having  heard  the  play  itself, 
went  to  see  the  author  about  it.  At  the 
same  time  he  was  busily  engaged  on 
a  venture  of  his  own,  and  therefore 
not  in  a  position  to  give  immediate 
attention  to  this  one,  but,  if  successful 
with  the  first,  proposed  to  follow  it  up 
with  a  representation  of  the  work  re- 
ferred to  should  it  meet  his  demands. 

He  took  the  MS.  away  with  him. 
Shortly  after,  the  piece  in  which  he  was 
interested  was  produced,  failed,  and  he 
was  taken  ill.  In  the  general  disturb- 
ance he  of  course  failed  to  read  the 
play  the  fortunes  of  which  we  are  follow- 
ing, and  finally  sent  it  back  to  the  owner 
(who  was  now  becoming  perfectly  ac- 
customed to  this  result),  and  left  the 
city  in  search  of  health. 

Mr.  Jacob  Litt,  having  heard  of  the 


36  THEATRICAL,   SKETCHES. 

work,  next  took  it  up  to  read,  but  being 
almost  simultaneously  sent  for  to  super- 
intend and  disentangle  some  of  the 
troubles  occurring  in  his  western  thea- 
tres returned  the  play  unread  to  the 
author,  to  be  "  considered  further  upon 
his  return  to  New  York." 

One  day  the  playwright  read  it  to 
Miss  Julia  Arthur,  and  it  seemed  from 
the  immediate  result  as  though  it  had 
found  its  niche  at  last.  She  was 
charmed  with  it  in  every  way,  being 
enthusiastic  over  the  role  of  the  heroine, 
which  would,  she  said,  suit  her  better 
than  any  she  had  so  far  been  entrusted 
to  portray.  Though  under  contract  to 
Mr.  A.  M.  Palmer  as  "leading  lady" 
of  his  "  stock  "  company,  she  decided 
to  try  and  use  her  influence  in  getting 
him  to  stage  it  for  her,  thus  giving  her 
a  decided  opportunity  for  displaying 
her  powers. 

Mr.  Palmer  was  about  sailing  for 
Europe,  and  was  finally  persuaded  to 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  37 

take  the  revised  MS.  with  him,  to  con- 
sider the  feasibility  meantime  of  produc- 
ing the  play  the  ensuing  fall,  with  Miss 
Arthur  in  the  title-role.  When  he  re- 
turned to  this  country,  it  happened  to 
be  on  the  ship  that  was  held  in  quar- 
antine for  twenty  days  down  the  bay 
during  the  cholera  scare,  and  upon 
finally  reaching  the  city  he  told  Miss 
Arthur  and  the  playwright,  that,  though 
greatly  impressed  with  the  strength 
of  the  play,  and  under  the  circum- 
stances he  should  like  to  oblige  them 
both,  absolutely  the  policy  of  his  theatre 
would  not  allow  of  his  producing 
anything  of  so  melodramatic  an  order. 
Up  to  date  there  are  half  a  dozen 
people  taking  this  same  piece  under 
consideration. 

The  author  constantly  threatens  to 
let  the  manuscript  go  up  in  a  semblance 
of  a  blaze  of  glory  by  touching  a  match 
to  it,  averring  the  fact  of  being  sick 
and  tired  of  the  whole  thing  ;  but  upon 


38  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

the  occasion  of  each  threat  of  this 
nature  a  protest  is  uttered  against  the 
sacrifice,  and  a  reminder  that  many  of 
those  that  have  turned  out  to  be  the 
so-called  "great  plays''  have  had  just 
such  a  history.  So  the  MS.  still  re- 
mains MS.,  and  is  still  pigeon-holed, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that  it  has 
a  dozen  times  been  within  an  ace  of 
production.  Hope  need  not  necessarily 
be  crushed  out,  even  by  playwrights  ex- 
periencing such  vicissitudes  as  above 
recounted,  when  it  is  borne  in  mind 
that  the  immortal  Gounod  waited  and 
watched  through  ten  dreary  years  before 
his  no  less  immortal  opera  of  "  Faust " 
received  its  production. 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  39 


loute  3ames  in  ComeDg. 

ACCUSTOMED  to  seeing  Louis  James 
in  tragic  roles,  or  at  all  events  in  the 
legitimate  drama,  the  public  is  not 
aware  that  it  has  been  deprived  of  a 
delightful  comedian. 

His  ability  in  this  line,  as  well  as 
his  wonderful  command  of  an  adverse 
situation,  was  perfectly  displayed  upon 
the  occasion  of  a  large  "benefit  per- 
formance "  several  years  ago.  Mr. 
James'  contribution  to  the  entertain- 
ment was  to  take  the  leading  part  in  a 
one-act  comedy  from  the  French ;  the 
two  other  characters  in  the  piece  being 
impersonated  by  Miss  Bruno,  a  hand- 
some English  blonde,  and  Mr.  Burr 
Mclntosh,  just  then  beginning  to  appear 
on  Metropolitan  boards. 

The  rehearsals  of  that  comedy  were, 


40  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

I  am  sure,  infinitely  more  ludicrous 
than  the  author  had  ever  anticipated. 
No  especial  place  had  been  provided  for 
the  trio  to  rehearse  in,  and  no  one 
deputed  to  hold  the  prompt-book,  so  it 
resulted  in  a  sort  of  "  go-as-you-please  " 
in  a  private  drawing-room,  and  a  closing 
with  the  modest  offer  of  an  amateur  as 
prompter.  Though  excessively  pains- 
taking, considerable  verdancy  was  mani- 
fested by  Miss  Bruno,  Mr.  Mclntosh 
and  the  stage-manager  pro  tern.  The 
latter,  unversed  in  the  ways  of  the  true 
"  professional,"  frequently  felt  as  if  tied 
up  in  knots  by  Mr.  James'  methods  of 
rehearsing,  which  seemed  to  consist  of  a 
mumbling  and  jumbling  of  words,  the 
only  part  that  was  ever  distinct  being 
the  cue. 

The  actor  finally  made  the  uneasy 
prompter,  who  was  in  a  continuous  rush 
to  "  find  the  place,"  understand  that  he 
never,  if  he  could  avoid  it,  repeated 
anything  that  took  place  in  the  play  at 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  41 

rehearsal,  except  the  cue.  After  this 
they  got  on  fairly  well  together,  al- 
though arriving  at  the  desired  period 
by  a  series  of  spasmodic  jumps.  As  for 
Mr.  Mclntosh,  he  was  usually  immersed 
in  thought  or  studying  his  "part"  at 
the  moment  his  cue  was  given,  and 
would  tardily  arrive  upon  the  scene 
displaying  great  surprise  that  it  was 
"his  turn,"  or  else,  being  over- warned, 
would  precipitate  himself  forward  sev- 
eral speeches  too  soon.  Xor  was  he  as 
well  "  up  "  in  French  as  he  is  at  present, 
and  would  insist  upon  addressing  Mr. 
James  in  the  play  as  "  Octive,  Octive, 
old  fellow,"  suggesting  thereby  a  cer- 
tain number  of  notes  on  the  piano.  The 
prompter  one  day  "walked  in  where 
angels  fear  to  tread,"  making  Mr.  Mc- 
lntosh aware  of  his  betise  by  suggest- 
ing that  he  should  sometimes  pronounce 
it  Octave,  as  in  the  French,  but  was 
incontinently  snubbed  by  the  young 
man  in  return,  who  did  not  relish  being 


42  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

11  taken  up  afore  folks,"  observing 
irritably,  "Oh  !  that'll  be  all  right  at 
the  performance. "  A  quickly  suppressed 
glance  of  merriment  appeared  in  Mr. 
James' eyes  during  this  little  encounter, 
and  I  am  positive  during  the  rehearsals 
he  experienced  many  delicious  silent 
paroxyms  of  mirth,  his  fine  sense  of  the 
ludicrous  being  amply  fed  by  the  un- 
conscious food  of  his  "support." 

The  day  of  the  performance,  strange 
to  say,  from  such  unpromising  premises, 
proved  a  veritable  triumph  for  James. 
Before  his  "Public"  he  bent  to  the 
serious  task  before  him — serious,  because 
at  the  rise  of  the  curtain  the  members 
of  his  small  cast  became  what  is  known 
in  the  vernacular  as  "rattled."  They 
walked  "On"  and  "Off"  whenever 
impelled,  said  anything  that  came  into 
their  minds  at  the  time,  and  if  nothing 
came  Mr.  James  smilingly  supplied  the 
defect  with  an  impromptu.  Mclntosh 
sailed  around  calling  upon  "  Octive  "  to 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  43 

his  heart's  content,  and  the  amateur 
prompter  sat  in  the  stage-box  aghast, 
recognizing  hardly  any  of  the  original 
piece  being  given  to  the  audience. 

The  apparently  rudderless  bark  proved 
to  be  in  more  than  safe  hands,  however, 
and  came  to  its  moorings  miraculously. 
As  he  afterwards  explained,  Mr.  James 
very  soon  perceived  that  his  "support," 
vulgarly  speaking,  was  not  "  in  it,"  and 
so  coined  everything  necessary  on  the 
spot,  succeeding  thereby  in  producing 
a  comedy  "while  you  wait"  that  kept 
the  large  audience  in  a  continuous  roar 
of  laughter,  and  covered  himself  with 
glory.  In  speaking  of  the  affair  he  said 
he  never  enjoyed  anything  better  in  his 
life — and  I'll  venture  to  say  the  audience 
rendered  the  same  verdict. 


44  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 


{Tragedian  and  tbe  IRubber  JBanfc. 

IN  pursuance  of  the  humorous  side  of 
Mr.  Louis  James'  character,  several  inci- 
dents occur  to  me  connected  with  his 
public  and  private  life  which  happened 
to  come  within  my  knowledge. 

Possibly  somewhat  in  sympathy  with 
Silas  Weg,  he  frequently  "  falls  into 
poetry,"  in  his  private  correspondence  ; 
but  as  it  is  highly  probable  he  would  not 
allow  these  hasty  effusions  to  be  digni- 
fied by  this  much-abused  term,  I  hasten 
to  do  justice  to  that  innate  modesty 
which  is  another  characteristic  of  Mr. 
James,  and  simply  designate  them  as 
verses.  A  short  prose  preface  is  neces- 
sary, however,  before  submitting  the 
lines  I  have  in  mind. 

Upon  a  certain  occasion  the  actor 
surprised  and  delighted  a  young  friend 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  45 

of  his  who  had  just  concluded  her 
' '  maiden  effort  "  at  play-writing  by  ex- 
pressing sincere  admiration  for  the  re- 
sult, and  assuring  her  if,  upon  closer 
consideration,  the  piece  confirmed  the 
impression  obtained  from  it  upon  the 
first  reading,  he  would  probably  produce 
it  during  his  coming  "  season." 

"Ah!"  said  he,  laying  the  MS. 
open  at  a  page  that  seemed  to  have 
caught  his  eye,  and  evidently  at  the  same 
time  experiencing  some  difficulty  in 
keeping  his  features  under  grave  con- 
trol, "  here  is  one  of  your  stage  direc- 
tions I  shall  hardly  be  able  to  comply 
With." 

"  What  is  that  ?  "  demanded  the  anx- 
ious young  author. 

"  This  one,"  replied  Mr.  James,  read- 
ing :  "'£/.  D.  enters  slowly  B.  CY." 
"Now  I  can't  do  that,  you  know," 
said  he,  glancing  up  from  the  page  with 
a  very  ingenuous  expression  of  counte- 
nance. 


46  THEATRICAL  SKETCHES. 

"  But  why  not  ?"  asked  the  puzzled 
young  woman. 

"Because,"  replied  Mr.  James  with 
mock  gravity,  "though  ' L.  D.'  may 
have  found  it  convenient  to  come  in 
at  that  period,  Louis  James,  his  repre- 
sentative to  be,  is,  unfortunately,  an 
A.  D.'er,  and  is  therefore  obliged  to 
enter  '  up  to  date.' '  He  thereupon  in- 
dulged in  a  hearty  laugh  at  the  expense 
of  the  little  playwright,  assuring  her, 
however,  it  was  but  a  slight  mistake 
easily  remedied,  and  proceeded  to  illus- 
trate that  the  C.,  minus  the  B.,  would 
prove  an  all-sufficient  guide  to  the 
ordinarily  intelligent  Thespian,  though, 
in  further  conversations,  he  could  not 
always  restrain  himself  from  making 
some  playful  allusion  to  the  time  when 
she  insisted  that  ' '  he  should  enter  before 
Christ." 

At  the  time  referred  to,  it  was 
finally  arranged  that  the  MS.  should 
be  sent  to  Mr.  James'  hotel  the  follow- 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  47 

ing  day,  and  in  tying  up  the  package 
the  author,  for  further  safety,  slipped 
a  rubber  band  around  it,  somewhat 
over  an  inch  wide.  In  an  accompany- 
ing note  she  suggested  the  band  was 
but  a  loan,  being  a  valuable  piece  of 
property,  which  she  should  expect  to 
have  returned  with  the  MS.  ;  further 
insinuating  he  should  keep  watch  and 
ward  of  his  conscience  in  the  matter, 
lest  it  should  serve  for  some  odious 
comparison  'twixt  it  and  the  elastic. 

The  mail  very  shortly  brought  an 
acknowledgment  of  the  MS.,  the  fol- 
lowing short  extract  from  the  note 
serving  to  show  the  impression  created 
by  the  unusual  size  of  the  rubber  : 

"  CHERIE  ELASTIC  : 

"  Where  did  you  get  it,  and  by  what  means  ? 
"  Have  you  a  corner  on  rubber? 
"I  accept   the  'trust,'  but  deny  the  similarity 
between  it  and  my  conscience,  etc.,  etc. 
"Signed, 

"  Yours  in  the  Lord, 

"  LOUISA, 
"Exit  B.  c." 


48  THEATRICAL  SKETCHES. 

Meantime  a  theatrical  manager  sent 
in  haste  to  the  young  lady  for  the  MS. 
of  this  same  play,  saying  he  desired  to 
read  it  to  Miss  Rose  Coghlan.  Some- 
what elated  with  her  sudden  popularity 
in  the  "stellar"  world,  the  young 
authoress  sent  a  hasty  request  to  Mr. 
James  for  the  return  of  her  play  for  a 
day  or  two.  The  messenger  brought  it 
back  almost  immediately,  without  any 
accompanying  word  from  him,  and 
minus — the  rubber  band. 

Fearing  in  her  haste  to  have  offended 
Mr.  James,  she  subsequently  wrote  him 
an  explanatory  note,  and  added  a  play- 
ful request  for  the  missing  rubber. 

It  came  next  day  by  express,  done  up 
in  numberless  wrappings  and  a  card- 
board box. 

Her  sex  being  allowed  a  ' '  change  of 
mind,"  the  young  lady  generously  de- 
cided to  present  the  much-worried  rub- 
ber to  Mr.  James  out  and  out.  Ac- 
cordingly, in  preparation,  she  placed 


K 


LOUIS  JAMES  in   "Virginius." 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  49 

the  band  on  a  piece  of  gilded  card- 
board, fastening  it  in  place  at  intervals 
with  pale  blue  ribbon  in  the  form  of 
"true  lovers'  knots,"  and  inscribing 
within  the  circle  these  lines  : 

TO 

LOUIS  JAMES. 

"  Tho'  you  have  won  the  '  mibber '  in  this  game, 
I  cherish  no  ill-feeling  for  the  same. 
These  true-blue  knots  at  intervals  of  space, 
To  keep  my  too  elastic  love  in  place." 

M. 

Mr.  James,  evidently  considering  the 
game  was  not  yet  " played  out,"  for- 
warded the  following  within  twenty- 
four  hours  : 

"  SWEET  MAID, 

"  Your  love  '  elastic,'  can  it  be? 
I've  always  found  you  trusting  true, 
That's  the  way  you've  been  to  me  ; 
Ye  gods  !    Now,  what  am  I  to  do  ? 

"If  you,  like  this  band  of  rubber, 
Hold  on  all  the  things  you  meet, 
How  I  wish  I  was  your  '  lubber,' 
To  be  held  by  one  so  sweet. 

4 


50  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

"  But  rubber  comes,  and  rubber  goes, 
Sometimes  one  way,  sometimes  t'other  ; 
Comes  in  garters,  comes  in  hose ; 
If  you  doubt  me,  ask  your  mother. 

"  Oh,  you  giddy,  heartless  critter, 
Draped  in  clinging  things,  and  lace, 
Don't  your  conscience  sometimes  twitter, 
When  you  see  my  careworn  face  ? 

"  Now,  adieu ;  don't  think  me  bold 
(I'm  sitting  in  my  robe  de  nuit) ; 
And  I  know  I'm  catching  cold 
While  inditing  this  to  thee. 

'•  Thus,  when  as  marble  cold  I  lay, 
With  a  Daisy  in  my  hand, 
Surely  friends  will  truly  say, 
Died  of  too  much  '  Rubber  Band.' 
"Exit  '  LOUISA.' 

"  '  A'(n)  'D  \ante)" 

The  woman,  in  the  recipient  of  the 
above,  not  feeling  content  to  allow  a 
man,  even  though  a  distinguished  actor, 
the  privilege  of  the  "  last  word,"  decided 
to  send  Mr.  James  a  line  of  sympathy 
on  his  decease,  and  at  the  same  time 
give  the  matter  in  general  a  decent 
burial,  the  means  being  appropriately 
at  hand  in  the  form  of  an  envelope,  and 
paper  to  match,  about  ten  inches  by 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  51 

six  in  size,  the  whole  bordered  by  a 
solid  inch  of  black,  the  style  used  by  the 
French  when  in  mourning,  for  convey- 
ing to  friends  the  news  of  a  death. 

At  the  top  of  the  sheet  of  paper  the 
young  authoress  drew  a  good-sized  pair 
of  scissors,  these  to  serve  as  her  right- 
ful crest.  Finding  a  bunch  of  black 
flowers  in  a  newspaper,  she  pasted  them 
on  one  of  the  lower  corners  of  the  same 
page,  and  wrote  on  the  clear  space  left : 

IN  MEMORIAM. 

"  Not  a  voice  was  heard,  not  an  eye  was  dry, 
Through  the  width  and  breadth  of  the  land, 
As  they  gravely  closed  the  coffin  lid 
On — the  tune  from  the  Rubber  Band.'' 

A  little  black  cat,  illustrating  one 
of  the  advertisements  of  a  periodical, 
served,  when  cut  out,  to  fasten  the  flap 
of  the  envelope,  accompanied  by  the 
Latin,  arranged  for  the  occasion, 

' '  REQUIES 

S'CAT 

IX  SPACE  " — 


52  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

It  was  then  directed— 

"  To  the  deceased," 
Louis  James 

—  Theatre, 

with  a  note  in  one  corner — 

"  If  in  communication,  please  forward." 

The  appearance  of  such  a  document 
in  the  post  must  undoubtedly  have  pro- 
duced a  startling  effect  upon  those 
through  whose  hands  it  passed,  before 
reaching  its  destination. 

The  following  day,  Mr.  James  called 
upon  the  fair  playwright,  to  talk  over 
the  matter  of  the  play,  as  well  as  to 
comment  on  the  above.  She  appeared, 
attired  in  a  long  white  gown,  to  the  left 
shoulder  of  which  was  attached  an 
immense  black  gauze  bow ;  she  wore 
long  black  gloves,  and  carried  a  black 
fan,  her  features  drawn  to  a  "decent 
gravity." 

She  of  course  anticipated  that  with 
Mr.  James'  usual  keenness  he  would 


THEATRICAL  SKETCHES.  53 

immediately  connect  her  costume  with 
the  elastic  incident.  To  her  surprise, 
however,  he  came  quickly  forward  to 
meet  her,  and  in  a  voice  of  deep  con- 
cern anxiously  inquired  what  had  hap- 
pened so  suddenly,  "  Had  any  of  the 

family •?" 

With  a  delighted  laugh  at  having 
caught  the  tragedian  "napping,"  she 
explained  that  she  was  only  evincing  a 
proper  respect  for  the  demise  of — the 
"  Rubber  Band." 


54  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 


Characteristic  of  jflfoaurice  JBarrgmore. 

THE  difficulties  encountered  and  the 
length  of  time  it  takes  in  communi- 
cating with  distinguished  members  of 
the  theatrical  profession  may  be  well 
illustrated  in  the  person  of  Mr.  Maurice 
Barrymore,  and  after  perusing  the 
following  it  will  be  easily  compre- 
hended why  he,  at  all  events,  would 
be  accessible  to  but  few. 

A  playwright,  desiring  to  produce  a 
play  at  a  matinee  "on  trial,"  conclud- 
ed Barrymore  was  the  most  desirable 
man  for  the  leading  role,  and  accord- 
ingly deputed  an  agent  to  make  an 
appointment  with  him. 

The  writer,  having  had  no  previous 
personal  experience  with  Mr.  Barry- 
more,  prepared  to  meet  the  actor  within 
a  few  days,  but,  despite  the  earnest  en- 


THEATRICAL    SKETC.HKS.  55 

cleavers  of  the  agent,  a  theatrical  man- 
ager and  several  friends,  who  tried  to 
deliver  messages,  six  months  elapsed 
before  the  desired  interview  took  place. 

When  it  did,  the  playwright  felt  as- 
sured it  was  as  difficult,  once  located,  for 
the  actor  to  go  as  it  had  been  to  come. 

It  happened  to  be  a  bitter  cold  day  in 
winter,  and  when,  after  three  or  four 
hours  of  reading  and  discussion,  Mr. 
Barrymore  rose,  carelessly  observing, 
"Well,  I  think  I'll  be  going;  I  left  a 
friend  of  mine  outside,  Gus  Thomas, 
who  walked  over  with  me  " — and  with 
a  slight  smile  adding,  "  I  told  him  I 
should  only  stop  a  moment,"  the  play- 
wright, quite  horrified,  exclaimed, 
' '  Why,  the  poor  fellow  must  be  quite 
frozen  ! " 

"Oh,  no,  I  fancy  not,  "lazily  observed 
Barrymore  ;  "and,  by  the  way,  I  had  a 
terrible  scene  with  him  last  night."  As 
he  spoke  the  actor  reseated  himself. 
"Thomas  has  got  a  play  he  wants  me 


56  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

to  '  star '  in,  k  Reckless  Temple '  by 
name,  and  I'm  averse  to  starring  at 
present,  but  he  stayed  with  me  nearly  all 
night,  urging  that  this  would  afford 
him  his  one  chance  of  becoming  known 
in  the  world,"  etc.,  etc. 

Mr.  Barrymore  remained  fully  an- 
other half-hour  recounting  the  existing 
condition  of  affairs,  and,  despite  the 
playwright's  anxiety,  it  was  made  evi- 
dent later  on  that  Mr.  Thomas  did  not 
freeze,  and  the  good  heart  of  the  actor 
manifested  itself  as  well,  for  "  Reckless 
Temple"  made  its  appearance  on  the 
"boards,"  with  Mr.  Barrymore  in  the 
title-  role. 

Though  ultimately  a  failure,  the  piece 
apparently  proved  the  stepping-stone 
he  anticipated  for  Mr.  Thomas,  who 
has  been  known  to  fame  and  prosperity 
ever  since,  although  Mr.  Barrymore, 
upon  the  occasion  referred  to,  certainly 
gave  him,  as  he  had  others,  a  "long 
wait." 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  57 


H  Dispute  preceding  tbe  professional  Debut 
of  flfors.  James  JBrown  potter. 

THE  fever  termed  " stage  fever"  is 
one  from  which  those  who  have  every 
reason  for  remaining  in  private  life, 
such  as  position,  means  and  family  ties, 
should  jealously  guard  themselves 
against.  It  is  an  insidious  malady  and, 
unless  in  the  case  of  pronounced  genius 
or  the  necessity  for  earning  a  living, 
should  be  stamped  out  as  vigorously  as 
any  other  plague. 

I  do  not  say  this  from  any  ill-feeling, 
being  a  sincere  admirer  of  the  stage  in 
all  its  legitimate  bearings,  but  because 
of  a  rooted  objection  to  seeing  women 
possessed  of  no  real  talent,  break  up 
their  homes  to  make  guys  of  themselves, 
and  misery  for  their  relatives  and 


58  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

friends.  Private  theatricals  seem  to  be 
the  ' '  hot-bed  "  for  instilling  hope  in  the 
aspirant  for  stage  honors ;  members  of 
these  clubs  would  not  for  the  world  be 
thought  anything  but  "  amateurs," 
and  equally  of  course,  uWe  only  do  it 
for  charity  and  the  fun  of  the  thing," 
is  the  invariable  reply  to  any  one  who 
utters  a  warning  word,  but  gradually 
one  person  will  display  some  slight 
talent,  and  his  or  her  vanity  is  instantly 
fed  to  repletion  by  the  fulsome  praise  of 
ill-advised  friends.  That  person  becomes 
the  "star"  of  the  club,  and  visions  of 
Sara  Bemhardt  and  Henry  Irving  grow 
dim,  as  the  feeling  within  them  becomes 
a  certainty  that,  "given  the  opportu- 
nity," and  he  or  she  will  eclipse  them  all. 
As  an  example  of  the  foregoing,  I 
don't  think  a  better  choice  occurs  to  me 
than  Mrs.  James  Brown  Potter.  She 
was  an  undoubted  social  favorite,  com- 
manding the  admiration  of  her  husband, 
friends  and  acquaintances,  so  that  when- 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  59 

ever  she  made  her  appearance  on  the 
amateur  stage  backed  by  the  laudable 
purpose  of  so  doing  for  sweet  charity's 
sake,  she  was  sure  of  an  enthusiastic 
audience.  She  became  the  recipient  of 
flattery  more  untrammelled  than  that 
usually  accorded  an  acknowledged 
public  favorite,  and  because  of  her 
beauty  and  prestige  was  accorded  the 
place  of  society's  leading  amateur. 

About  this  time,  feeling  that  she  was 
getting  quite  beyond  the  casual  one-day 
or  night  performances  given  at  intervals 
during  a  "  season,"  the  organization  of 
which  she  was  the  leading  light  ex- 
tended its  operations  accordingly,  and 
would  play  two  or  three  successive 
nights  in  the  theatres  of  the  small 
cities  adjacent  to  New  York,  always  of 
course — "  for  charity." 

A  faint  whisper  finally  rippled  through 
Mrs.  Potter's  "set,"  to  the  effect  that 
she  was  seriously  contemplating  the 
step  that  would  designate  her  as  a  "  pro- 


60  THEATRICAL,    SKETCHES. 

fessional  ;  "  rumor  added  that  she  was 
receiving  fabulous  offers  from  would- 
be  managers,  but  when  one  bolder  than 
the  others  inquired  the  truth  of  Mrs. 
Potter,  the  rumors  were  always  denied. 
Notwithstanding  her  denials,  Mrs. 
Potter,  knowing  Mrs.  John  Sherwood  to 
be  intimate  at  the  house  of  Mrs.  Lester 
Wallack,  succeeded  through  her  in 
arranging  an  interview  at  which  Mr. 
Wallack  should  be  present  and  hear  her 
recite,  presumably  with  the  idea  of  ob- 
taining his  estimate  of  her  capabilities 
as  an  actress.  At  the  close  of  her  reci- 
tations, Mr.  Wallack  paid  Mrs.  Potter 
several  graceful  compliments  upon  her 
"charming  talent,"  etc.,  such  as  he 
deemed  so  pretty  a  woman  as  she  had 
a  right  to  expect  from  him,  but  at  the 
same  time  very  strongly  advised  her 
not  to  become  "  professional,"  for,  as  he 
observed  after  her  departure,  the  moder- 
ate amount  of  capacity  she  displayed 
did  not  warrant  her  in  throwing  off  her 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  61 

responsibilities  and  breaking  up  her 
home,  or  him  in  offering  such  advice. 

A  little  later  on,  a  large  benefit  per- 
formance in  aid  of  some  good  work  was 
organized  by  one  of  the  prominent 
women  in  society.  It  was  to  take  place 
at  the  "Academy  of  Music,"  and  for  it 
the  very  best  theatrical  talent  had  vol- 
unteered their  services.  There  were 
five  hundred  well-known  women's  names 
on  the  list  of  patronesses  and,  to  rep- 
resent these,  Mrs.  Potter  was  asked 
to  read  a  very  pretty  prologue,  written 
for  the  occasion  by  Mrs.  John  Sher- 
wood. 

Mrs.  Potter  returned  a  note  of  thanks 
and  acceptance  to  the  lady  in  charge  of 
the  affair,  saying  she  would  be  happy 
to  read  the  prologue,  "before  or  after 
the  performance." 

The  little  difficulty  in  reference  to  ap- 
propriate time  suggested  by  Mrs.  Pot- 
ter's note  was  easily  adjusted,  as  she 
received  a  response  from  the  busy  man- 


62  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

ageress  pro  tern.,  saying  she  thought 
they  would  not  deviate  from  the  pre- 
vailing custom  upon  this  occasion,  there- 
fore she  would  like  to  have  Mrs.  Potter 
open  the  performance  with  the  prologue. 

The  project  grew  and  prospered,  was 
much  talked  of,  and,  as  the  important 
day  drew  near,  was  widely  advertised. 

Posters  appeared  on  the  elevated  rail- 
road stations,  bearing,  besides  the  an- 
nouncement of  the  mammoth  entertain- 
ment, the  names  of  the  prominent  pat- 
ronesses, and  a  list  of  those  who  had 
volunteered  to  take  part. 

The  placing  of  Mrs.  Potter's  name 
proved  a  difficulty.  As  a  large  propor- 
tion of  the  volunteers  were  "  stars  "  of 
the  first  theatrical  magnitude,  it  was 
not  deemed  correct  to  head  the  list 
with  an  amateur,  even  though  it  were 
Mrs.  James  Brown  Potter  ;  accordingly 
it  was  placed  about  third  on  the  list  of 
women's  names.  As  it  happened,  in 
the  male  list  the  name  of  Kyrle  Bellew 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  63 

appeared  almost  opposite  that  of  Mrs. 
Potter,  quite  an  accident  of  course,  as  I 
believe  at  that  time  they  had  barely 
met. 

It  being  now  very  close  to  the  date 
determined  upon  for  the  perform- 
ance, the  house  of  the  manageress  pre- 
sented a  very  busy  scene,  the  various 
people  connected  with  the  entertain- 
ment constantly  coming  and  going,-  and 
among  the  visitors  on  a  particular  morn- 
ing was  Mrs.  Potter,  who  had  come  to 
gain  a  few  particulars  as  to  the  hour  she 
was  expected  to  appear,  etc.,  etc.  One  of 
the  posters  previously  mentioned  hap- 
pened to  be  spread  out  on  a  table  in  the 
drawing-room,  and  Mrs.  Potter,  attract- 
ed by  her  own  name,  stopped  involun- 
tarily and  exclaimed,  "  Oh  !  I  am  afraid 
Mr.  Potter  will  not  approve  of  that." 

"Why  should  he  object?"  inquired 
the  lady.  ' '  All  of  our  names  are  there 
as  well,  and  the  object  is  certainly  a 
worthy  one."  Mrs.  Potter,  however,  did 


64  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

not  seem  to  feel  at  ease  so  far  as  Mr. 
Potter  was  concerned,  and  did  not  be- 
lieve he  would  take  kindly  to  her  "pro- 
fessional "  surroundings. 

Her  hostess  then  good-naturedly  re- 
marked, though  she  had  not  at  present 
very  much  spare  time  at  her  disposal 
for  arranging  differences,  if  Mrs.  Potter 
found  her  husband  had  any  serious  feel- 
ing, on  the  subject,  to  ask  him  to  come 
and  see  her,  and  she  would  endeavor  to 
explain  the  matter  to  his  satisfaction. 

That  afternoon  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Potter 
called  upon  the  lady  in  question,  and, 
though  a  number  of  persons  were 
present  besides,  the  interview  reached 
the  storm  boundary.  Mr.  Potter's  anger 
was  not  of  the  repressed  order,  in  fact 
he  waatloud  and  eloquent  upon  the  sub- 
ject of  his  wife's  name  being  placed  with 
those  of  "  professionals,"  and  gradually, 
from  the  drift  of  his  words,  it  dawned 
upon  his  listeners  that  he  had  been  given 
to  understand  that  the  entertainment 


THEATRICAL   SKETCH  KS.  65 

was  only  to  include  the  services  of 
amateurs,  and  his  first  intimation  that 
such  was  not  the  case  came  to  him  upon 
seeing  the  bill-boards  referred  to,  at  the 
elevated  road  stations. 

From  this  aspect  of  affairs  he  was  of 
course  entitled  to  consideration,  and  al- 
though up  to  this  moment  the  hostess 
was  feeling  herself  somewhat  aggrieved, 
knowing  as  she  did  that  Mrs.  Potter 
was  fully  cognizant  of  the  arrange- 
mentsas  they  stood,  as  this  new  light 
was  shed,  she  grasped  the  true  situa- 
tion, and  when  Mr.  Potter's  arrival  at  a 
period  offered  her  the  opportunity,  she 
said,  "You  surely  did  not  consider  me 
so  lacking  in  intelligence,  Mr.  Potter,  as 
to  hire  the  '  Academy  of  Music '  for  an 
amateur  performance  T' 

Darting  a  look  at  his  wife,  Mr.  Potter 
admitted  it  had  appeared  a  strange  ar- 
rangement to  him,  and  then,  as  though 
his  feelings  upon  the  subject  could  no 

longer  be  held  in  check,   he  told  Mrs, 
5 


66  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

Potter,  in  unmistakable  language,  that 
"  this  sort  of  thing  had  got  to  stop,"  she 
must  be  ' '  black  or  white,  an  actress 
or  not  an  actress."  That  these  various 
affairs  in  which  she  took  part  that  were 
in  every  essential  "professional,"  and 
only  prevented  from  so  appearing  to  the 
public  by  the  saving  clause  of  ' '  ama- 
teur" being  tacked  on,  would  no 
longer  be  tolerated.  One  of  the  most 
flagrant  items,  as  regarded  by  Mr. 
Potter  in  the  present  instance,  seemed 
to  be  the  proximity  of  Kyrle  Bellew's 
name  to  that  of  his  wife,  and  causing 
him  to  remark  he  "simply  .wouldn't 
stand  it." 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  discourse  Mrs. 
Potter  seemed  faintly  to  agree  with  her 
husband,  though  this  may  have  been  an 
undiscriminating  acquiescence  offered 
with  the  laudable  intention  of  soothing 
him  into  an  ordinary  frame  of  mind  ;  to 
those  present  at  the  interview,  however, 
who  remembered  and  contrasted  it  by 


THEATEICAL   SKETCHES.  67 

the  light  of  after  events,  it  seemed  as 
though  Mr.  Potter  must  have  felt  some 
prophetic  warning  at  the  time. 

The  Potters  finally  arose  to  take  their 
leave,  Mr.  Potter  intimating  that  he 
should  probably  withdraw  his  wife's 
name  from  the  programme,  his  wife  at 
the  same  time  assuring  one  of  the  ladies 
near  her,  sotto  rocc,  that  she  should 
still  hope  to  carry  out  her  part,  and 
would  make  every  effort  to  alter  her 
husband's  ideas  on  the  subject. 

The  result  was  Mrs.  Potter's  actual 
withdrawal  by  her  husband,  and  Miss 
Marie  Wainwright's  more  than  gracious 
acceptance  to  take  her  place  at  the  last 
moment,  the  press  scenting  out  the  whole 
affair,  and  interviews  more  or  less  true 
purporting  to  come  from  the  warring 
factions  appearing  in  the  morning 
papers. 

The  final  result  of  that  interview, 
however,  was  made  apparent  a  few 
months  later,  when  the  city  was  liter- 


68  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

ally  ' '  painted  red  "  with  the  announce- 
ment of  the  professional  debut  of — Mrs. 
James  Brown  Potter,  with  the  name  of 
Mr.  Kyrle  Bellew  in  conjunction  as  her 
"leading  man." 

These  so  completely  dwarfed  the 
offending  little  elevated  road  posters, 
that  I  doubt  if  half  a  dozen  persons 
remembered  the  acorn  from  which  the 
great  oak  sprang. 


THEA^KiCAL,   SKETCHES.  69 


Bnnogances  Btten&ing  a  Gbeatrical  Benefit 
performance. 

THE  annoyances  attendant  upon  the 
giving  of  a  theatrical  benefit  perform- 
ance are  almost  incalculable,  more  es- 
pecially if  the  person  in  charge  happens 
not  to  belong  to  the  rank  and  file  or 
managerial  divisions  of  the  profes- 
sion. Their  "  good  intentions  "  towards 
these  then  seems  to  count  for  naught, 
and  the  mere  fact  of  being  a  ' '  rank 
outsider "  sufficient  cause  to  create 
a  suspicion  and  malice  that  leaves  the 
trespasser  on  strange  land  a  "hard 
row  to  hoe." 

As  an  instance,  I  will  detail  the  mis- 
eries experienced  in  the  workings  of 
one  of  these  affairs  by  a  young  play- 
wright. 

Upon  previous  occasions,  this  enthusi- 


70  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

astic  young  person  had  headed  several 
private  enterprises  which  were  so  suc- 
cessful that  from  the  proceeds  of  the 
same  she  had  had  the  pleasure  of  send- 
ing in  many  hundreds  of  dollars  to  the 
"Actors'  Fund."  This  was  a  pet  char- 
ity with  her,  for  the  players  themselves, 
she  argued,  having  given  her  so  much 
pleasure  and  entertainment  all  her  life 
in  witnessing  their  performances,  it 
was  but  a  fair  return  to  think  some- 
what of  their  needs,  and  alleviate  them 
when  possible.  So  that  at  the  time  of 
the  great  Actors'  Fund  Fair,  held  at  the 
Madison  Square  Garden,  in  April,  1892, 
her  services  were  not  to  be  overlooked, 
and  at  the  request  of  the  Fund's  Presi- 
dent, Mr.  A.  M.  Palmer,  she  consented 
to  organize  a  "  benefit "  to  be  given  at 
his  theatre  the  week  the  Fair  was  being 
held  in  the  "Garden." 

She  had  but  a  few  weeks  in  which  to 
accomplish  her  work,  and  had  at  first 
objected  to  the  undertaking  on  the  plea 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  71 

of  not  having  just  the  material  at  hand 
she  desired,  giving  Mr.  Palmer  to  un- 
derstand that  the  following  would  be 
the  best  she  could  accomplish  at  the 
time,  viz. :  Put  the  finishing  touches 
to  two  one-act  plays  of  her  own,  a 
tragedy  and  comedy  respectively,  and, 
between  these  plays,  a  programme  could 
be  arranged  consisting  of  music,  recita- 
tions and  dancing.  If  this  bill  should 
be  considered  sufficiently  attractive,  she 
would  proceed  ;  if  not,  she  would  be 
obliged  to  withdraw.  The  plays  were 
submitted  to  Mr.  Palmer  to  read,  and 
his  approval  of  the  programme  in  gen- 
eral was  signified  by  his  placing  his 
theatre  and  all  comprised  therein  at  the 
lady's  disposal.  He  referred  her  to  the 
late  and  deeply  lamented  Mr.  Chas.  W. 
Thomas,  then  Secretary  for  the  "  Fund," 
and  co-manager  and  partner  with  Mr. 
Chas.  Hoyt  of  the  "Madison  Square 
Theatre,"  for  whatever  information  or 
assistance  she  would  require  (Mr. 


72  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

Palmer  being  too  deeply  engaged  with 
the  Fair  to  be  available  for  aught  else), 
also  naming  his  stage-manager,  Mr. 
Gene  W.  Presbrey,  as  being  at  her  ser- 
vice in  directing  rehearsals  and  to  act 
as  general  stage-manager  of  the  per- 
formance. 

Matters  so  arranged  presented  a  very 
roseate  hue  at  the  outset,  and  the 
young  author,  having  finished  her  plays, 
turned  her  attention  to  the  executive 
branch  of  the  entertainment. 

The  first  thing,  of  course,  was  to 
secure  the  two  volunteer  casts  required, 
and  this  Mr.  Thomas  and  Mr.  Presbrey 
said  that  between  them  they  would 
accomplish,  although  the  playwright 
found  her  services  were  quite  frequently- 
required. 

This  or  that  actor  or  actress  could 
not  or  would  not  accept  for  divers  rea- 
sons all-sufficient  to  themselves,  for,  be 
it  known,  let  me  remark  en  passant,  the 
profession  (for  which  I  cannot  blame 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  73 

them)  are  not  all  too  fond  of  studying 
and  dressing  a  part  for  a  single  per- 
formance, even  though  it  be  for  charity, 
and  that  charity  their  own. 

Finally,  however,  the  cast  for  the 
tragedy  was  complete,  Mr.  Louis  James, 
Mr.  Edward  Bell  and  Miss  Julia  Arthur 
in  the  leading  roles,  the  mailer  parts 
being  filled  by  members  of  Mr.  Palmer's 
"stock"  company,  so  rehearsals  forthis 
piece  were  immediately  called. 

Mr.  Presbrey  thought  there  would  be 
no  difficulty  in  casting  the  comedy, 
as  Mr.  Daniel  Frohman,  or  other 
managers  of  comedy  companies,  would 
willingly  loan  a  sufficient  number  of 
their  people,  and  feeling  satisfied  the 
plays  were  now  in  good  hands,  the 
young  playwright  turned  her  attention 
to  the  speciality  portion  of  the  pro- 
gramme. 

There  were  many  difficulties  to  be 
encountered  here :  good  artists,  espe- 
cially among  the  musicians,  had  not  fin- 


74  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

ished their  "season"  and  were  still  "on 
the  road,"  more  particularly  the  opera 
comique  contingent,  including  Miss  Lil- 
lian Russell,  Miss  Marie  Tempest,  Carl 
Streetman,  Hubert  Wilke  and  others. 
She  wrote  to  many  of  these,  upon  the 
chance  that  they  would  return  to  New 
York  in  time,  requesting  their  services, 
but  their  replies  were  for  the  most  part 
discouraging. 

After  great  patience  and  a  lavish  use 
of  note-paper,  she  obtained  the  accept- 
ance of  Sig.  Campanini  to  sing. 

"  Red  tape  "  with  singers  appears  to 
be  indispensable  ;  they  are  so  proverb- 
ially independent,  and  will  sometimes 
do  for  a  caprice  what  a  large  sum  of 
money  would  not  force  from  them. 

Sig.  Campanini's  services  were  first 
requested  in  the  name  of  the  "  Actors' 
Fund."  He  refused.  Then  in  the 
name  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Palmer  ;  but, 
for  reasons  best  known  to  himself,  he 
would  not  sing  for  anything  or  any- 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  75 

body  other  than  at  the  simple  request 
of  the  young  amateur  manageress. 

Conditions,  by  this  time,  had  become 
as  nothing  to  her  :  she  accepted  all  and 
every  kind,  keeping  in  view  only  the 
results.  An  interruption  occurred  here 
in  this  branch  of  her  labors — the  or- 
ganist required  to  play  the  organ  at  a 
certain  point  of  the  tragedy  was  called 
for  ;  she  immediately  made  heroic 
efforts  in  the  organists'  ranks  to  obtain 
a  good  volunteer,  but  met  with  no  suc- 
cess, until,  going  into  the  Mason  & 
Hamlin  ware-rooms  one  morning,  she 
was  offered  the  services  of  Mr.  Wm.  C. 
Carl,  who  had  just  returned,  with  his 
laurel  wreaths,  from  Paris,  as  well  as 
the  promise  of  a  very  fine  instrument 
to  be  used  at  the  matinee. 

After  further  efforts,  the  late  Mine. 
Schirener-Maplesoii,  together  with  Miss 
Rosa  Linde,  Miss  Helen  Von  Doenhoff 
and  Sig.  Clemente  Bologna,  were  se- 
cured to  complete  the  musical  numbers. 


76  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

Mr.  Aubrey  Boucicault,  in  a  gracious 
way  truly  grateful  to  the  now  much 
worried  manageress,  consented  to  recite, 
and  Omijo  San  and  Oyaye  San,  Japan- 
ese dancers  from  the  Imperial  Court  of 
Japan,  were  allowed  by  their  managers 
to  give  a  characteristic  national  dance. 

One  of  the  women  having  charge  of 
a  booth  at  the  Fair  was  instrumental 
in  obtaining  the  latter  attraction,  and, 
in  return  for  this,  illustrated  the  intense 
desire  of  which  many  people  are  pos- 
sessed for  obtaining  free  passes  to  a 
theatre.  , 

She  called  at  Mr.  Thomas'  office  in 
the  "  Madison  Square  Theatre  "  build- 
ing to  offer  the  services  of  the  dancers, 
the  young  playwright  happening  to 
enter  at  the  same  time.  The  former, 
having  transacted  her  business,  turned 
to  the  latter,  saying  :  "I  should  like  to 
have  you  send  me  a  couple  of  compli- 
mentary tickets  for  the  performance,  so 
that  I  may  come  for  the  short  time  I 


THEATKICAL    SKETCHES.  77 

can  leave  my  booth  at  the  Fair  and  see 
these  girls  dance." 

The  playwright  quietly  reminded  her 
that  the  entertainment  was  being  given 
for  charity,  and  consequently  "  compli- 
mentaries  "  could  not  be  distributed. 

The  woman  continued  to  urge  the 
matter  as  her  right,  until  Mr.  Thomas 
assured  her  that  what  she  asked  was 
impossible.  Upon  hearing  this  she 
literally  "  flounced  "  out  of  the  office. 

"Is  she  poor?"  inquired  the  young 
lady. 

"Poor!"  ejaculated  Mr.  Thomas. 
"Come  and  look  at  her  carriage." 

The  former,  approaching  the  window, 
saw  the  woman  drive  away  in  a  hand- 
some equipage,  coachman  and  footman 
occupying  the  box. 

It  was  within  ten  days  of  the  per- 
formance when  the  playwright,  upon 
going  to  ' '  Palmer's  Theatre  "  one  morn- 
ing, received  word  that  Mr.  Presbrey 
would  like  to  speak  to  her. 


78  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

Entering  his  private  office,  she  was 
both  astonished  and  displeased  to  have 
him  tell  her,  after  some  preamble, 
though  he  regretted  hurting  her  feel- 
ings, he  should  really  advise  her  to  give 
up  the  proposed  "benefit.1" 

After  an  instant's  hesitation,  she 
merely  reminded  Mr.  Presbrey  he  was 
scarcely  in  a  position  to  "hurt  her  feel- 
ings," but  bade  him  offer  his  reasons 
for  the  foregoing. 

He  thereupon  intimated  that  the  real 
trouble  consisted  in  the  immoral  tone  of 
the  tragedy,  and,  in  consequence,  Miss 
Arthur  had  that  morning  thrown  down 
her  book  at  rehearsal  and  refiised  to 
goon. 

"  And  what  else  ?  "  inquired  his 
listener. 

Well,  Mr.  Frohman  would  not  be 
able  to  loan  them  his  people  for  the 
comedy;  in  fact,  here  was  his  letter  upon 
the  subject.  A  typewritten  sheet  was 
handed  to  her,  signed  by  Daniel  Froh- 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  79 

man.  The  gist  contained  therein  was  to 
the  effect  that  Mr.  Frohman  regretted 
that  he  should  need  his  people  for  the 
rehearsal  of  a  new  piece.  Glancing  up 
from  the  page,  she  remarked  to  the 
stage-manager,  that  all  this  was  of  course 
very  annoying,  but  the  affair  being 
advertised,  it  was  naturally  too  late 
to  turn  back,  therefore,  the  only  thing  to 
be  done  was  to  re-cast  the  plays  as 
quickly  as  possible. 

The  stage-manager,  without  replying 
directly,  attempted  to  give  the  young 
lady  some  advice  as  to  re-writing  her 
play,  at  the  same  time  persisting  that  it 
would  be  impossible  to  go  on  with  the 
arrangements  for  the  "benefit." 

The  lady  then  very  plainly  assured 
him  that,  at  Mr.  Palmer's  request,  she 
had  already  put  herself  to  a  great  deal 
of  trouble  in  getting  up  this  affair,  which 
was  none  of  her  own  seeking,  that  her 
play  was  not  even  suggested  as  being 
immoral  either  by  him  or  other  leading 


80  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

people,  that  she  had  no  intention  of  re- 
writing it,  and,  as  stage-manager  under 
existing  circumstances,  his  opinion  upon 
the  subject  was  not  required. 

Finally,  that,  in  any  event,  the 
"  benefit  "  would  take  place,  and  all  she 
desired  from  him  at  present  was  Miss 
Arthur's  address.  This  she  had  great 
difficulty  in  obtaining,  being  assured  it 
was  absolutely  of  no  use  for  her  to  see  the 
actress,  but  the  playwright  being  de- 
termined, and  the  stage-manager  hav- 
ing no  good  reason  for  withholding  the 
same,  it  was  finally  put  in  her  posses- 
sion. 

Calling  first  to  see  Mr.  Thomas,  the 
young  lady  discovered  he  had  already 
heard  rumors  of  dissension,  and  was 
thereby  annoyed.  She  recounted  to  him 
the  foregoing  experience,  and  upon 
mentioning  the  letter  she  had  seen  from 
Mr.  Frolnnan,  Mr.  Thomas  wheeled 
round  to  his  desk,  and  picking  up  a 
sheet  of  paper,  handed  it  to  her,  remark- 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  81 

ing,  "  This,  then,  must  be  the  first  half 
of  the  same  letter,  sent  me  by  Presbrey 
this  morning." 

It  was  easy  to  surmise  from  this  por- 
tion that  the  stage-manager  had  given 
Mr.  Frohman  to  understand  that  the 
"benefit"  was  in  reality  a  vehicle  by 
which  the  playwright  intended  exploit- 
ing two  of  her  plays,  and,  impressed 
with  this  idea,  Mr.  Frohman  declined  to 
give  her  the  aid  of  his  people. 

Upon  comprehending  the  situation 
Mr.  Thomas  and  the  young  author  were 
exceeding  wroth.  Mr.  Thomas  said  he 
had  never  known  Dan  Frohman  to  break 
faith  with  him  before,  and  up  to  the 
present  moment  had  been  speculating 
as  to  the  cause.  The  stage-manager's 
evident  intention  to  break  up  the  "  bene- 
fit "  he  could  not  comprehend,  unless 
from  the  mere  fact  that  he  desired  to 
shirk  the  trouble  it  entailed ;  their 
mutual  decision,  at  all  events,  was  to 

"  repair  damages  "  without  loss  of  time, 
6 


82  THEATKTCAL   SKETCHES. 

the  playwright's  first  move  being  to 
call  upon  Miss  Arthur  and  learn  the 
cause  of  her  defection. 

She  found  Miss  Arthur  rather  im- 
pregnable at  first,  and  evidently  smoth- 
ering some  of  the  indignation  that  had 
not  fully  found  vent;  but  the  truth  was 
out  finally,  and  the  actress's  only  reason 
for  relinquishing  her  part  appeared  to  be 
Mr.  Presbrey's  resolve,  given  out  that 
morning  at  rehearsal,  to  "cut"  certain 
portions  of  the  play,  until,  as  Miss 
Arthur  declared,  the  process  would 
eliminate  all  the  strength  and  force  from 
her  role.  Under  the  circumstances  she 
declined  to  go  on. 

It  was  now  the  author's  turn  to  be- 
come indignant  once  more. 

"Then  it  was  not  what  was  in  the 
play,"  she  questioned,  "  but  the  threat  of 
cutting  some  of  it  out  that  forced  your 
decision  ? " 

Receiving  Miss  Arthur's  assent  to 
this,  she  continued:  "  What  right  could 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  83 

the  stage-manager  have,  under  existing 
circumstances,  to  'cut'  or  add  any- 
thing to  my  play  without  consulting 
me?" 

"  None  whatever,"  rejoined  Miss 
Arthur. 

The  actress  then  gave  her  promise  to 
appear  at  " Palmer's  Theatre"  for  re- 
hearsal the  following  morning  at  ten 
o'clock,  and,  much  relieved  in  mind,  the 
young  lady  drove  to  the  hotel  where 
both  Mr.  James  and  Mr.  Presbrey 
resided  with  their  families. 

Sending  up  her  cards,  she  requested 
both  gentlemen  to  meet  her  in  the  ladies' 
reception-room. 

Mr.  James  made  his  appearance  first, 
and  rapidly  laying  the  facts  before  him, 
she  begged  that  he  would  go  on  with 
his  "part,"  and  also  take  the  stage- 
management  of  the  piece.  Mr.  James 
very  kindly  accepted  both  propositions, 
and  when  Mr.  Presbrey  entered  the 
room,  the  young  lady  suggested  that  he 


84  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

would  be  pleased  to  learn  she  had  suc- 
ceeded in  every  way  ;  that  the  original 
cast  would  assemble  at  the  theatre  the 
next  morning  for  rehearsal,  and  at  the 
same  time  she  would  not  require  his 
services,  as  Mr.  James  had  consented  to 
act  as  stage-manager  for  the  tragedy, 
the  comedy  being  now  in  the  hands  of 
Mr.  Thomas. 

Mr.  Presbrey  endeavored  to  appear 
as  pleased  at  this  announcement  as  the 
playwright,  and  Mr.  James  felt  inward- 
ly convinced  he  was  not,  and  compli- 
mented the  former  upon  having  sur- 
mounted all  difficulties. 

There  was  some  skirmishing  along 
the  comedy  line,  but  five  days  before 
the  date  fixed  for  the  matinee,  the  cast 
was  filled  out  by  members  of  the  "  Trip 
to  Chinatown  "  company,  and  included 
Queenie  Vassar,  Anna  Boyd,  Geraldine 
McCann,  Loie  Fuller,  Adolph  Jack- 
son, Ealph  Bartlett  and  James  K. 
Hackett. 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  85 

Under  the  able  guidance  of  that  most 
responsible  of  stage-managers,  Mr.  R. 
A.  Roberts,  the  piece  was  brought  up 
to  an  amazing  state  of  perfection,  con- 
sidering there  were  less  than  half  a 
dozen  rehearsals. 

Among  the  minor  annoyances  that 
continued  were  such  as  the  following. 
The  young  lady  could  find  no  one  who 
would  take  it  upon  themselves  to  keep  the 
affair  advertised,  thus  she  was  obliged 
to  "  work  "  that  department  to  the  best 
of  her  ability  unaided.  Again,  stopping 
at  the  box-office  of  the  theatre  one. 
morning,  she  learned  that  the  sale  of 
seats  had  been  suspended.  Upon  in- 
quiring the  cause  of  this  disastrous 
move,  she  was  told  Mr.  Palmer  had 
been  given  to  understand  by  his  stage- 
manager  that  the  " benefit"  would  not 
"come  off,"  hence  this  order.  After  a 
little  energy  expended  on  her  part  "  by 
word  of  mouth,"  this  was  rectified,  and 
the  sale  continued. 


86  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

The  day  of  the  performance  arrived, 
and  going  to  the  theatre  a  little  early 
to  see  that  everything  was  in  order,  she 
found  that  the  Mason  &  Hamlin  organ 
just  arrived  at  the  scene  entrance  was 
being  refused  admission  on  account  of 
its  size  ;  the  employees  of  the  theatre 
assuring  her  the  instrument  was  too 
large  to  be  brought  into  the  building. 
As  the  door  for  scenery  happened  to  be 
two  stories  high,  and  the  organ  could 
have  been  placed  in  any  room  of  ordi- 
nary height  ceiling,  the  assertion  was 
ridiculous  on  its  face  to  any  one  pres- 
ent. 

However,  the  young  playwright, 
deciding  that  this  was  but  one  more 
annoyance  she  was  being  subjected  to, 
wasted  no  words,  but  repaired  to  the 
organ  ware-rooms,  and  selecting  a 
smaller  instrument,  had  it  immediately 
sent  to  the  theatre. 

In  view  of  the  worries  and  difficul- 
ties she  had  been  forced  to  undergo,  it 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  87 

seemed  almost  a  miracle  that  the  benefit 
was  conducted  to  the  finish  with  com- 
plete success,  and,  according  to  the  ver- 
nacular, there  was  "not  a  hitch"  in  the 
programme. 

The  companies  of  both  pieces  played 
as  smoothly  as  though  giving  regular 
performances. 

Campanini,  as  the  paper  stated  later, 
sang  better  than  he  had  in  years,  ' '  creat- 
ing one  of  his  old-time  furores,"  and 
the  remaining  numbers  of  music,  reci- 
tation, etc.,  were  rendered  with  a  spirit 
that  made  those  present,  including 
members  of  the  press,  vote  the  afternoon 
a  complete  triumph. 

You  may  rest  assured  the  young 
author,  who  was  largely  responsible  for 
this  agreeable  result,  did  not  feel  she 
had  reached  her  goal  on  a  bed  of  roses. 


88  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 


•Reminiscent  of  tbe  Dohes 

IT  is  possibly  completing  a  round  dozen 
of  years  since  that  delightful  little 
theatrical  company  styled  the  "  Yokes 
Family  "  gave  their  last  performances 
in  this  country. 

I  only  appeal  to  the  "oldest  inhabit- 
ants "  to  carry  their  memories  back  so 
far,  but  they,  I  am  sure,  will  always 
retain  pleasant  thoughts  of  the  clean, 
mirth-provoking  entertainment  with 
which  these  players  furnished  the  public. 

At  the  time  of  which  I  speak,  (prob- 
ably 1882),  I  was  one  of  a  large  party 
summering  at  the  "Ft.  Wm.  Henry'1 
Hotel,  Lake  George,  where  the  Vokes 
also  arrived,  bag  and  baggage,  for  a 
month's  outing  ;  it  was  there  that  some 
of  us  had  the  pleasure  of  knowing  them 
more  or  less  well  in  their  private  life. 

Eosina    Vokes   (the  late   Mrs.    Cecil 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  89 

Clay)  remaining  in  England,  her  place 
in  the  "Family"  was  taken  by  Miss 
Bessie  Sansoii  (now  Mrs.  Frank  Daniels) ; 
otherwise  the  organization  was  the 
same,  I  am  told,  as  when  it  made  its 
first  appearance  in  this  country  in  ' '  The 
Belles  of  the  Kitchen." 

Never  were  there  three  more  respected 
and  self-respecting  young  women  on 
the  boards  than  the  Yokes  sisters  ; 
they  were  always  as  rigidly  chaperoned 
by  an  aunt  or  their  mother  as  any  well- 
brought-up  girls  in  society. 

Late  suppers,  or  visitors  other  than 
those  who  would  call  generally  upon  any 
family,  were  entirely  debarred. 

The  aunt  to  whom  I  refer  travelled 
with  them  for  many  years,  wrote  their 
plays,  and  always  "had  supper  ready 
for  her  girls  in  their  own  rooms  after 
the  performance." 

Fred  Yokes,  their  brother  (for  Fawdon 
was  only  adopted),  designed  the  scenery 
and  arranged  the  music  for  their  plays, 


90  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

while  between  them  they  settled  the 
costuming.  Thus,  in  all  ways,  the  term 
"  Family,"  fittingly  described  them. 

When  at  leisure  from  theatrical 
duties,  the  girls  were  always  sitting 
together,  engaged  upon  some  piece  of 
that  everlasting  fancy-work  so  dear  to 
the  heart  of  the  Englishwoman. 

The  first  appearance  of  the  "  Family  " 
at  the  "  Ft.  Win.  Henry  "  made  a  visible 
impression  ;  it  was  at  breakfast,  and  I 
may  say  they  were  nothing  if  not  in- 
dependent in  their  dressing. 

Victoria,  Jessie  and  Miss  Sanson  were 
attired  in  Watteau  wrappers  of  different 
hues,  their  aunt  clad  in  black,  with  one 
of  those  structures  termed  caps  sur- 
mounting her  decorous,  smooth  brown 
"front,"  composed  of  many  yards  of 
black  lace  and  ribbon,  ''relieved  "  by 
bunches  of  violets.  The  men,  of  whom 
there  were  four  in  the  party,  wore  the 
usual  English  summer  morning  neglige 
costumes. 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  91 

The  entire  party  seemed  utterly  ob- 
livious to  the  world  surrounding  them, 
and  went  their  various  ways  in  a  per- 
fectly frank,  unaffected  manner. 

Those  in  the  hotel  whose  lives  hereto- 
fore had  never  happened  to  bring  them 
in  contact  with  members  of  the  theatri- 
cal profession,  at  first  rather  resented 
their  presence  and  were  inclined  to  sit 
at  a  distance  and  regard  them  in  the 
light  of  a  menagerie  "  let  loose  ;  "  but  as 
they  did  not  evince  the  slightest  desire 
to  encroach  on  the  territory  or  society 
of  the  habitues  of  the  hotel,  in  fact,  if 
anything,  rather  avoided  it,  a  few  days 
saw  the  former  making  advances  to 
"the  enemy"  which,  though  not  re- 
pulsed, were  received  without  enthusi- 
asm. By  the  end  of  the  first  week, 
however,  they  were  established  favor- 
ites, adding  greatly  to  the  general 
gaiety,  in  their  bright  agreeable  fash- 
ion. 

In  return  for  hospitalities  they  had 


92  THEATKICAL    SKETCHES. 

received  from  various  guests  of  the 
hotel,  they  gave  a  picnic  one  day,  to 
which  quite  a  number  of  us  were  in- 
vited, and,  I  may  add,  there  were  no 
regrets. 

They  chose  Diamond  Island,  a  charm- 
ing spot  three  miles  up  the  lake  from 
the  "  Ft.  Win.  Henry,"  for  the  "happy 
hunting-ground,"  and  I  am  sure  I  am 
correct  in  saying  that  no  more  delight- 
ful affair  of  its  kind  has  ever  been  given 
in  that  region  of  repose  and  pleasure. 

The  means  of  transportation  consisted 
of  a  fleet  of  row-boats,  and,  though  the 
picnic  lasted  throughout  the  day,  there 
was  not  a  dull  moment  experienced. 
The  details  for  the  "spread  "  were  per- 
fect, the  actual  work  of  which  was  left 
in  the  hands  of  the  English  valets,  the 
one  exception  to  this  being  a  chowder 
concocted  by  Fred  Vokes,  for  which  he 
was,  and  deserved  to  be,  well  compli- 
mented. 

By  the  aid  of  the  various  musical  in- 


THEATKICAL   SKETCHES.  93 

struments  upon  which  the  "Family" 
could  perform,  the  air  was  frequently 
filled  with  delightful  melody,  and  as  the 
sun  began  its  sinking  journey  back  of 
the  "purple  hills,"  warning  the  pleas- 
ure-seekers to  find  shelter  from  the 
night,  there  were  nothing  but  expres- 
sions of  regret  that  "  the  day  was  done." 
Boat  after  boat  was  filled  and  launched 
out  onto  the  glassy  lake,  and  only  the 
steady  plash  of  the  oars,  and  Fred  Yokes' 
voice,  as  he  sang  a  charming  solo,  dis- 
turbed the  silent  twilight. 

Fred  was  possibly  the  most  talented 
member  of  his  family,  being  not  only 
excessively  clever  in  his  nominal  calling, 
but  an  artist  in  oils  of  no  mean  preten- 
sions, a  fine  pianist,  possessed  of  a  good 
voice  and  innumerable  minor  accom- 
plishments, but,  as  is  often  the  case  with 
genius,  he  was  a  great  care,  in  this  in- 
stance, to  his  sisters. 

Generous  and  extravagant  to  a  fault, 
he  would  hand  out  the  last  cent  in  his 


94  THEATRICAL    SKETCHES. 

pocket  to  any  one  who  asked  for  it,  and 
was,  in  consequence,  easy  prey  for  the 
large  army  of  impecunious  actors  who 
are  always  hanging  about  their  success- 
ful brethren  ;  in  his  nature,  a  veritable 
Bohemian  tramp. 

At  the  lake  he  would  don  the  most 
disreputable  looking  old  garments,  and 
sally  forth,  pipe  in  mouth,  his  fishing- 
rod  and  painting  materials  in  hand. 
When  he  would  next  ''turn  up,"  was 
ofttimes  a  problem  to  the  family  ;  fre- 
quently, it  would  be  far  into  the  night. 

The  last  day  of  their  stay  at  the  "  Ft. 
Win.  Henry,"  Fred  was  entreated  not 
to  leave  the  grounds,  as  they  would  be 
starting  for  Saratoga  directly  after  the 
two  o'clock  dinner  ;  the  sisters  realizing 
from  experience  it  was  best  if  possible 
to  keep  their  brother  in  sight.  He  faith- 
fully promised  to  make  his  appearance 
in  due  time,  and  with  this  assurance 
went  off  as  usual  to  muse  on  sea  and 
sky. 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  95 

The  hours  slipped  away,  dinner  was 
over  and  the  stage  before  the  door.  !Xo 
Fred  in  sight.  The  baggage  was  being 
piled  up  mountain  high,  and  the  sisters 
were  anxiously  peering  in  every  direc- 
tion for  the  missing  member,  but  not 
the  smallest  cloud  of  dust  in  the  dis- 
tance betokened  his  approach.  Finally, 
the  last  bags  and  bundles  being  in  place, 
they  were  obliged  to  take  their  seats  on 
the  coach  and  leave  him  to  his  fate. 

As  the  driver  cracked  his  whip  pre- 
paratory to  the  start,  Fred  appeared, 
toiling  up  the  hill  from  the  lake,  ex- 
tremely warm  in  appearance,  and  tug- 
ging his  rod  and  painting  parapher- 
nalia. Everyone  shouted  to  him  "to 
hurry,"  to  which  admonition  he  paid 
but  slight  heed,  and  when  he  came 
within  speaking  distance,  his  sister 
Jessie,  in  horrified  accents,  exclaimed — 
"  You're  never  going  to  disgrace  us  by 
going  to  Saratoga  in  that  'get-up,'  are 
you,  Fred  2 " 


96  THEATRICAL  SKETCHES. 

For  all  answer  Fred  packed  away  his 
traps  on  the  coach,  and,  swinging  him- 
self up  on  one  of  the  trunks  strapped  on 
the  back,  which  left  his  feet  dangling  in 
nonchalant  fashion,  waved  a  good-bye 
with  his  ragged  hat  to  those  on  the 
piazza,  who  could  not  help  laughing  at 
the  comical  look  of  resignation  that 
overspread  the  faces  of  the  feminine 
portion  of  the  party. 

The  last  time  I  saw  the  Yokes  was 
one  evening  in  the  ensuing  winter, 
when,  upon  receiving  a  box  with  their 
compliments,  a  party  of  us  went  to  a 
Brooklyn  theatre  where  they  were 
playing  ' '  Fun  in  a  Fog. " 

Of  course  the  "Family"  made  all 
sorts  of  covert  allusions,  for  our  benefit, 
to  their  life  at  Lake  George,  not  com- 
prehended by  the  general  audience  : 
but  Fred  finally  outstripped  the  others, 
when,  being  supposed  to  be  excessively 
sea-sick  on  the  mimic  boat  on  which 
they  were  travelling,  exclaimed  in  loud 


KYRLE    BELLEW. 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  97 

tones,  "How  I  wish  I  could  land  on 
Diamond  Island  and  have  another 
chowder  ! "  accompanying  his  speech  by 
an  expressive  glance  towards  our  box. 

This  decidedly  drew  the  attention  of 
the  house,  as  people  suffering  from 
mal  de  mer  are  not  generally  clamor- 
ing for  chowder,  and  the  sisters,  as 
usual,  had  to  come  to  the  rescue  to  put 
a  stop  to  any  further  reckless  impro- 
visations on  his  part. 

After  the  play  we  all  repaired  to  the 
"Sturtevant  House"  in  New  York, 
where  the  Yokes  were  stopping,  and 
after  having  paid  them  a  little  call, 
started  for  our  respective  homes. 

AYhile  waiting  for  a  car  on  the 
"Gilsey  House"  corner,  I  thought  I 
detected  rather  thick  smoke  issuing 
from  the  roof  of  the  ' '  Sturtevant, "  and 
suggested  the  house  might  be  on  fire. 
The  idea  was  ridiculed  by  the  remainder 
of  the  party,  however,  and  we  all  went 

our  various  ways. 
7 


98  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

My  surmise  proved  correct,  for  the 
next  morning's  papers  gave  us  the  ac- 
aount  of  rather  a  severe  fire  that  had 
occurred  in  that  hotel. 

We  went  to  inquire  for  the  Yokes, 
and  discovered  they  had  not  suffered 
anything  more  than  a  severe  fright ; 
that  Victoria,  upon  finding  the  women 
scantily  attired,  and  all  crowding  in  a 
panic  towards  the  ladies'  entrance, 
had  mounted  a  chair  and  delivered,  off- 
hand, a  free  lecture  upon  the  subject  of 
self-control ;  that  Jessie  was  positive 
the  women  in  this  country  did  not  wear 
night-dresses,  for  she  had  not  discovered 
one  who  was  so  attired  ;  and  Miss  San- 
son  was  causing  unrestrained  mirth  on 
account  of  the  peculiar  assortment  of 
things  she  had  tried  to  save. 

They  told  one  little  incident  of  Fred's 
experience  in  the  general  mSlee. 

When  matters  were  somewhat  calm- 
ing down  at  the  "  Sturtevant, "  he 
crossed  the  street  to  the  "Gilsey 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  99 

House  "  on  some  errand.  Standing  at 
the  desk  registering,  he  descried  a  man 
attired  in  white  under-drawers,  red 
shirt,  high-top  boots,  and  a  high  black 
hat ;  he  was  moved  by  the  resemblance 
in  his  costume  to  facetiously  slap  him 
on  the  back,  (a  total  stranger),  jocularly 
remarking  :  "I  say,  old  man,  you're  up 
early  ;  are  you  going  hunting  ? " 

' '  Damn  it !  "  replied  the  irate  one 
addressed.  "Don't  you  know  the 
'  Sturtevant  House '  is  on  fire  ? " 

Innumerable  incidents  could  be  re- 
lated of  these  pleasant  people,  and  it  is 
with  sincere  sorrow  I  realize  we  shall 
never  look  upon  their  like  again,  for 
several  members  of  the  "  Family  "  have 
died  within  the  past  few  years,  and  no 
one  who  has  ever  seen  them  together 
would  desire  to  see  their  places  filled 
by  others. 

Filled  they  could  not  be,  for  the 
"  Vokes  Family,"  as  they  originially 
appeared,  were  entirely  unique. 


100  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 


Could  Tfcgrle  JSellew  be  considered  Wain? 

IN  days  now  somewhat  remote,  dis- 
cussion at  times  waxed  animated  over 
a  then  seemingly  important  question, 
theatrically  and  indeed  socially — "  Was 
or  was  not  Kyrle  Bellew  possessed  of 
great  vanity  ? "  I  believe  the  matter 
has  never  been  definitely  settled,  though 
in  an  individual  instance  I  recall  it 
would  seem  there  was  some  valid 
ground  for  a  supposition  in  the  af- 
firmative. 

The  occasion  was  an  informal  "  even- 
ing" at  Mrs.  Lester  Wallack's,  and 
gathered  about  one  of  the  tables  were 
two  or  three  young  ladies,  Mr.  Bel- 
lew  and  some  other  men. 

Bellew  had  some  bits  of  paper  in  his 
hands  from  which  he  was  idly  fashion- 
ing little  boats. 


THKATK1CAL   SKETCHES.  101 

"I  hear,"  he  drawled,  addressing-  no 
one  in  particular,  "  that  your  American 
navy  is  badly  in  need  of  ships.  I  pro- 
pose to  remedy  the  evil  by  presenting 
you  with  a  few." 

One  girl  in  the  party  spoke  up  quickly 
in  slightly  sarcastic  vein  : 

' "  I  am  sure  we  all  render  sincere 
thanks  in  the  name  of  the  American 
navy/' 

The  actor  favored  her  with  an  espe- 
cially comprehensive  glance,  and  finish 
ing  his  boat,  pencilled  a  few  words  on  it 
and  patronizingly  tossed  it  over  to  her. 

The  girl  picked  the  boat  up  slowly 
(this  was  the  first  occasion  she  had  met 
Mr.  Bellew)  and  read — "  My  love  to  you, 
Kyrle  Bellew."  She  flushed  rather  a 
vivid  crimson,  but,  looking  the  young 
man  steadily  in  the  eyes,  said  in  tones 
sufficiently  clear  for  all  to  comprehend, 
"The  sentiment  inscribed  here  (indicat- 
ing the  boat)  is  surely  too  much  of  an 
honor  for  any  one  woman  to  aspire  to, 


102  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

so  with  your  permission,  Mr.  Bellew,  I 
will  take  it  home,  raffle  it,  and — send 
you  the  proceeds. "  She  then  rose,  bowed 
and  left  the  table,  at  the  same  time 
leaving  Mr.  Bellew  sufficiently  discon- 
certed to  bite  his  lip,  and  permit  his 
brow  the  shadow  of  a  frown. 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  103 


d&r.  asellew  flfcarrieD  or  Single. 

AT  the  height  of  Mr.  Kyrle  Bellew's 
reign  in  New  York,  on  the  stage  and  in 
the  heart  of  the  matinee-girl,  when 
Thirtieth  Street  opposite  "Palmer's 
Theatre  "  (where  Mr.  Bellew  principally 
held  sway)  would  be  crowded  every 
Saturday  afternoon  with  young  women 
belonging  to  the  best  "  set "  in  the  city 
waiting  patiently  to  catch  a  glimpse  of 
the  actor  as  he  issued  from  the  stage- 
entrance  after  the  performance,  there 
was  much  anxious  inquiry  among  these 
same  misguided  young  females  as  to 
whether  their  idol  was  married  or  single. 
Not  that  a  solution  of  the  matter  could 
affect  any  of  them  one  way  or  the  other, 
but  a  number  of  the  younger  ones,  I 
presume,  preferred  to  worship  and  dream 
of  him  in  private,  untrammelled  by  the 


104         THEATRICAL  SKETCHES. 

prosaic  details  of  family  attachments. 
"Anyway,"  they  "wanted  to  know." 

One  of  the  sisterhood  having  an  ac- 
quaintanceship with  Mr.  Louis  James 
volunteered  to  apply  to  him  for  infor- 
mation, and  thus  have  the  burning 
question  settled.  Accordingly,  upon 
the  next  occasion  of  their  meeting,  the 
young  spokeswoman  prided  herself  upon 
adroitly  bringing  the  subject  to  the  fore- 
ground. Her  opinion  of  her  own  deft- 
ness suddenly  vanished,  however,  upon 
being  unmercifully  teased  by  the  quick- 
witted Mr.  James,  gaining  no  informa- 
tion, (he  having  none  to  give,)  and  with 
the  added  pang  of  hearing  "  dear  Kyrle  " 
dubbed  (in  a  spirit  of  wickedness  with 
the  design  of  worrying  his  fair  inquisi- 
tor), 'bandy-legged,'  by  the  athletic 
actor. 

But  before  they  parted,  Mr.  James 
relented,  and  promised  to  gather  all  the 
items  on  the  subject  he  could,  trans- 
mitting them  to  her  by  the  earliest  post ; 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  105 

thus,   within  a  few  days,  she  received 
from  him  the  following  :— 

'  Here's  a  how-de-do, 
I've  found  it  out  for  you, 
When  a  man  can  live  on  eggs, 
He's  sure  to  have  most  bandy  legs, 
And  then  he's  married  too, 
Dear  lovely  Kyrle  Bellew,"  etc. 

Below  this  verse  a  slip  clipped  from  a 
daily  paper  was  pasted,  and  heavily  out- 
lined with  a  border  of  black  ink.  It 
read  : 

"BELLEW. — Kyrle  Bellew  is  a  married  man. 
His  wife  lives  in  England,  and  he  is  thrifty  in  his 
personal  habits.  His  only  dissipation  is  his  fond- 
ness for  hard-boiled  eggs." 

After  this  came  a  second  verse  from 
Mr.  James  : 

"  Here's  a  state  of  things, 
All  hearts  he's  torn  to  strings. 
Just  because  dear  Kyrle's  not  single, 
All  the  girls  their  tears  will  mingle. 
Poor  dear  Kyrle  Bellew, 
Here's  a  how-de-do,"  etc. 

"  After  the  '  Mikado ' — 
"  But  don't  despair,  Pm  still  living. 
"Yours, 

"  '  LOUISA.' 

After  receiving  the  above,  in  the  name 


106  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

of  suffering  girlhood,  and  on  bright 
scarlet  paper  emblematic  of  their  hearts' 
blood,  the  recipient  of  the  above  indited 
the  following  acknowledgment  to  the 
tragedian  : 

"  Here's  a  pretty  mess. 
Of  you  we  think  no  less, 
But  when  word  came  he  was  married 
All  to  their  rooms  were  fainting  carried. 
Lives  he's  wrecked  a  few, 
This  hateful  Kyrle  Bellew  ! "  etc. 

"  Ah  !  this  is  too  too  much, 
'  Bandy  legs,'  '  wife,'  and  'hard-boiled  eggs,' 
Now  we  taste  the  bitter  dregs 
Of  unrequited  passion." 

It  may  have  been  the  newspaper  item 
quoted  above  had  a  more  salutary  effect 
upon  girldom  than  even  a  mother's  ad- 
monition or  a  father's  stern  command, 
or  it  is  possible  Mr.  Bellew  tired  of 
wholesale  worship.  Be  this  as  it  may, 
dating  from  that  time,  the  furore 
created  by  his  cameo-like  beauty  seemed 
to  decline,  and  he  was  allowed  to  settle 
down  with  but  few  remonstrances  as 
Mrs.  Potter's  "leading  man." 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  107 


Stage  of  ITnDifference. 

IT  is  interesting  at  times  to  retrace 
one's  mental  steps,  and  determine  the 
cause  of  an  inspiration,  no  matter  of 
what  order. 

Certainly  "  an  up-to-date "  farce- 
comedy  would  scarcely  be  sought  as 
the  legitimate  cause  of  a  serious  re- 
ligious discussion,  "between  the  acts," 
or  the  following  verses  be  regarded  as 
the  outcome  of  such  a  discussion,  but 
indulgence  is  craved,  as  the  facts 
remain. 

Two  of  the  guests  in  a  large  theatre 
party  given  one  evening  to  witness  a 
sample  of  this  popular  kind  of  amuse- 
ment, certainly  "got  in  very  deep." 

From  dwelling  upon  the  stupidity  of 
prevailing  "shows"  (the  only  word 
adequate  to  the  performances)  and  this 


108  THEATRICAL    SKETCHES. 

one  in  particular,  they  advanced  to  the 
present  indifference  of  people  to  things 
in  general,  the  lady  going  so  far  as 
to  remark,  "That  at  times  it  almost 
seemed  as  though  God  had  given  up 
taking  any  interest  in  the  affairs  of  this 
world." 

The  man  replied,  "Being  an  atheist 
the  word  God  held  no  especial  meaning 
for  him,"  in  fact,  he  would  quite  as  soon 
so  denominate  his  companion,  as  any 
one  else. 

She  was  fairly  shocked  at  this,  and 
told  him  under  the  circumstances  he 
tempted  her  to  call  him  the  "Devil." 
Very  seriously,  however,  the  gentleman 
advanced  his  atheistic  arguments,  but 
the  young  lady  was  not  to  be  convinced. 
They  were  interrupted  by  the  orchestra 
loudly  trumpeting  forth  "  Johnny's 
Gun,"  in  the  midst  of  which  choice 
selection,  the  young  woman  emitted  a 
slightly  hysterical  laugh. 

Upon  her  escort  inquiring  the  cause, 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  109 

she  said,  "It  just  struck  me  as  so  funny 
that  '  God  '  and  the  '  Devil, '  should  be 
seated  side  by  side  in  the  theatre,  and  the 
audience  remain  actually  indifferent  to 
the  fact." 

Upon  returning  home  from  the 
theatre  that  evening,  acting  upon  an 
impulse,  the  young  lady  seized  her  pen 
and  indited  these  lines  to  her  friend  :— 

"THE  STAGE  OF  INDIFFERENCE." 

TO 
W.  E.  P.    F. 

"  The  Devil  and  God  at  the  play  were  seen 
Side  by  side  in  the  parquette  chairs. 
To  the  rest  of  the  audience  gathered  there, 
It  seemed  a  droll  and  peculiar  affair, 
That  the  moving  powers  of  heaven  and  hell 
Should  emerge  from  their  respective  shell, 
To  meet  in  a  spot  that  was  not — well, 
A  suitable  place  for  either  ! 

"  Yet,  though  it  wasn't  a  usual  thing 
When  the  orchestra  '  started  up,' 
They  turned  their  attention  to  tilings  in  hand, 
Such  as  '  Johnny's  Gun '  as  played  by  the  band  ; 
For,  after  all.  we  live  in  an  age 
'  Taking  things  as  they  come '  'twould  baffle  to 
guage. 


110  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

Neither  God  nor  the  Devil  are  now  the  rage, 
But — La  demoiselle  Soubrette. 

"  The  Devil  had  donned  a  persuasive  smile, 
Having  lured  God  in  to  show  him, 
Though  ministers  roared  and  tried  to  blight 
The  lives  that  swarmed  in  the  calcium  light, 
There  was  many  a  beautiful  spotless  elf 
'  Playing  her  part '  on  that  glittering  shelf, 
Who  like  unto  him,  their  other  self, 
Was  '  not  so  bad  as  painted."1 

"  But  in  the  stage  of  indifference  we  mostly  dwell, 
It's  a  very  wearisome  thing 
To  be  roused  from  that  '  little  world  of  our  own,' 
And  asked  to  judge  of  the  seed  as  sown, 
To  wake  for  the  right,  and  a  battle  wage, 
In  affairs  either  on  or  off  the  stage. 
'  None  of  my  business,'  remarks  the  sage, 
'  And  so  I'll  not  interfere.' 

L'ENVOI. 

"  God  watched,  and  listened  and  took  it  in, 
The  arms  and  legs  all  waving  there. 
The  masses  of  streaming  golden  hair, 
The  gauzy  raiment  an  angel  might  wear ; 
Then  meeting  his  neighbor's  satanic  stare 
Said,  "  I  wish  you  good  luck,  and  I 
Hope  there's  a  leaven,  still — by  your  leave, 
I'll  return — to  heaven.'  " 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  Ill 


Unci&ents  in  tbc  Moris  of  flfcusfc. 

THE  members  of  the  dramatic  pro- 
fession are  frequently  commended  for 
their  general  good  nature  and  generosity 
towards  one  another,  but  for  some  mys- 
terious cause  these  qualities  do  not 
seem  to  communicate  themselves  to  the 
musical  branch  to  any  great  extent. 
The  latter  art  is  popularly  supposed  to 
possess  charms  that  in  some  way  soothe 
the  savage  breast,  and  although  this 
may  be  its  effect  on  an  audience,  the 
opposite  seems  to  be  true  of  the  artist, 
in  whom  it  apparently  very  often  breeds 
selfishness,  vanity  and  irritability. 

Without  doubt  the  true  musician's 
nerves  are  in  a  more  acute  condition 
than  those  of  the  rest  of  mankind,  and 
the  care  of  a  voice,  at  all  events,  would 
tend  necessarily  towards  a  somewhat 


112  THEATRICAL,   SKETCHES. 

selfish  life.  These  are  then  the  only 
reasons  I  can  offer  in  explanation  of  the 
difference  that  exists. 

I  remember  witnessing  an  instance  of 
the  selfishness  that  can  be  displayed  by 
one  singer  towards  another,  and,  though 
a  mere  child  at  the  time,  its  striking  me 
so  forcibly  that  it  created  a  very  lasting 
impression.  It  occurred  at  the  "  United 
States  Hotel,"  Saratoga. 

Miss  Clara  Louise  Kellogg,  at  the  time 
extremely  stout,  and  also  somewhat  on 
her  last  notes  with  the  public,  occupied 
one  of  the  "  States' "  cottages.  Sig. 
Brignoli,  who,  according  to  tradition, 
had  been  the  most  fascinating  and 
adored  of  the  tenors  of  his  time,  was  at 
Saratoga  also  ;  not  at  the  "  States,"  but 
at  some  second-rate  boarding-house  in 
the  village.  "Very  poor,"  every  one 
said,  and  sighed  as  they  did  so  that  this 
genius  should  be  enduring  such  a  sor- 
rowful old  age. 

His  voice  was  still  extremely  sweet, 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  113 

for  he  sang  sometimes  in  the  morning, 
(I  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  him,) 
and  also,  despite  everything,  he  had  still 
managed  to  preserve  to  a  certain  extent 
the  air  of  the  gallant  and  petted  favor- 
ite of  other  days. 

One  morning  a  party  of  ladies  of  "a 
certain  age"  were  seated  at  a  corner 
of  the  long  hotel  piazza,  when  Miss 
Kellogg  and  Brignoli  happened  to  pass 
one  another  on  the  promenade,  the 
prima  donna  merely  according  a  care- 
less nod  to  the  latter.  One  of  the  ladies 
noticing  this,  observed  that  Miss  Kel- 
logg's  present  affluence  evidently  pre- 
vented her  feeling  the  necessity  of  the 
companionship  of  the  artist  who  had 
nothing.  "And  yet,"  she  continued, 
"  I  can  recall,  in  the  days  when  she  made 
her  debut  and  Brignoli  was  already  a 
great  tenor,  his  marked  kindness  to  the 
nervous  young  singer.  He  gave  her 
his  advice  and  his  help  in  a  thousand 
different  ways,  then  much  coveted  and 


114  THEATRICAL  SKETCHES. 

of  great  value  to  her,  as  I  presume  it 
has  been  throughout  her  career ;  but 
now  ! "  and  the  speaker  shrugged  her 
shoulders  significantly. 

A  few  days  later  it  was  announced 
that  Miss  Kellogg  would  give  a  concert, 
at  which,  of  course,  all  fashionable  Sara- 
toga would  be  expected  to  attend.  Sig. 
Brignoli,  upon  being  made  aware  of  the 
event,  approached  the  lady  referred  to, 
begging  her  to  intercede  with  Miss 
Kellogg  on  his  behalf  to  give  him  an 
engagement  to  sing  at  the  same  con- 
cert. 

Knowing  the  tenor  to  be  sadly  in 
need  of  funds,  and  also  feeling  that  his 
name  would  still  prove  a  magnet  to  a 
host  of  his  old  admirers  who  were  sum- 
mering at  the  Spa,  she  very  willingly 
undertook  the  mission,  only  however 
to  feel  thoroughly  grieved  and  indig- 
nant over  the  result. 

She  preferred  her  request  at  the  first 
opportunity,  to  which  Miss  Kellogg's 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  115 

reply  was  something  to  the  effect  that 
"  she  couldn't  be  bothered  with  him.'' 

Neither  was  any  one  else  "  bothered  " 
with  him  very  long,  for  within  a  com- 
paratively short  period  of  the  foregoing 
incident,  he  died  in  a  top-floor  room  at 
the  "Everett  House'1  in  Xew  York, 
not  possessed  of  sufficient  of  this  world's 
goods  to  provide  him  with  the  means 
for  a  decent  exit  therefrom.  Fortu- 
nately, towards  the  last,  one  or  two  of 
his  old  friends  discovered  his  condition 
and  made  themselves  responsible  for  the 
necessary  expenses  attending  his  death. 

It  is  also  pleasant  to  know  that  as  his 
hour  arrived,  he  seemed  to  lose  sight  of 
his  troubles,  his  mind  wandering  back 
to  the  time  of  his  early  triumphs,  and 
he  finally  expired  most  tranquilly,  sing- 
ing one  of  his  favorite  airs. 


Occasionally  you  meet  with  a  tenor 
who  gives  better  attention   to  his  ex- 


116  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

chequer  than  did  poor  Brignoli.  An 
amusing  little  incident  illustrating  this 
was  recounted  to  me  by  a  lady  who  had 
interested  herself  in  getting  up  an  en- 
tertainment for  charity,  at  which, 
among  others  Campanini  had  been  re- 
quested to  sing. 

He  forwarded  a  very  polite  reply  to 
her  invitation,  saying  he  regretted  ex- 
ceedingly his  inability  to  sing  upon  the 
occasion  designated,  but  enclosed  a 
cheque  for  fifty  dollars,  which  he 
begged  her  to  make  use  of  in  connec- 
tion with  the  charity. 

Delighted  with  his  generosity,  though 
at  the  same  time  sincerely  mourning 
the  absence  it  would  entail  of  the  artist, 
she  sent  him  an  immediate  and  profuse 
acknowledgment  of  the  cheque. 

Whether  repentance  for  the  act  over- 
took him  in  the  night  she  could  not  say, 
but  the  following  day  she  received  a 
note  from  the  great  singer  by  messenger, 
conveying  the  intelligence  that  circum- 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  117 

stances  would  allow  him  to  sing  for  her 
after  all,  and  requesting  her  to  kindly 
return  him  his  cheque  by  bearer. 

She  laughed  heartily  over  this  dona- 
tion "with  a  string  to  it,"  as  slangy 
little  boys  would  put  it,  but  at  the  same 
time  expressed  her  thankfulness  at  the 
exchange.  "  For,  after  all, "  said  she, 
"  there  are  plenty  of  fifty-dollar  bills  in 
the  world,  but — only  one  Campanini." 


All  impresarios,  I  believe,  entertain 
different  views  upon  "the  way  to  get 
there."  A  noticeable  point  in  Col. 
Henry  Mapleson's  policy  was,  that  all 
his  business  transactions  should  bear 
the  social  stamp  as  well,  and  he  con- 
tinued to  pursue  this  course  in  the 
management  of  his  late  wife,  Laura 
Schirener-Mapleson,  the  prima  donna, 
with  considerable  success. 

He  encountered  many  difficulties  in 
trying  to  accomplish  this  during  his 


118  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

latest  visit  to  America,  because  of  hav- 
ing presented  Marie  Eoze  as  his  wife 
upon  a  former  occasion.  Indignation 
being  somewhat  prevalent  in  the  higher 
circles  that  he  now  repudiated  the  fact, 
and  desired  Laura  Schirener  to  be  rec- 
ognized as  occupying  the  position  then 
held  by  Madame  Eoze. 

However,  he  made  a  bold  fight  to  over- 
come all  obstacles,  and,  together  with 
his  own  easy  address,  Madame  Maple- 
son's  beauty  and  the  whispers  rife  of  her 
"  interesting  history,"  succeeded  fairly, 
as  the  first  step  arranging  to  have 
Madame  Mapleson  sing  at  several 
private  musicales. 

There  was  one  lady  however  wield- 
ing considerable  social  influence,  who 
though  she  thus  came  into  contact  with 
the  Maplesons  at  the  houses  of  her 
friends,  vowed  not  to  countenance  them 
in  her  own. 

It  is  apparently  not  always  good  policy 
to  write  yourself  down  too  distinctly 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  119 

in  these  matters,  as  was  evidenced  later 
on. 

One  of  the  large  charitable  entertain- 
ments of  the  season  patronized  by  society 
was  in  process  of  erection,  so  to  speak, 
in  which  the  lady  to  whom  I  refer 
was  deeply  interested.  It  was  sug- 
gested that  doubtless  Madame  Mapleson 
would  be  very  happy  on  this  occasion 
to  sing  for  her.  The  social  leader 
thought  this  might  be  extremely  pos- 
sible, as  it  was  to  be  a  very  fashionable 
affair,  but  declined  to  consider  the  ar- 
tist's services. 

The  day  before  that  set  for  the  per- 
formance, the  former  received  a  message 
informing  her  that  the  celebrity  upon 
whom  she  had  been  relying  was  sud- 
denly obliged  to  leave  town.  Quite  in  de- 
spair over  this  catastrophe  occurring  at 
such  a  late  hour,  she  hurriedly  applied 
to  every  one  whom  she  thought  could 
possibly  fill  the  place  made  vacant,  but 
none  were  available  at  such  short  notice, 


120  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

and  on  every  side  she  was  advised  to 
seek  Madame  Mapleson. 

With  rather  a  grim  smile  overspread- 
ing her  face,  as  she  recognized  the 
finger  of  fate  and  her  own  defeat,  she 
finally  directed  her  coachman  to  the 
apartment  house  occupied  by  the  Maple- 
sons,  and  there,  with  the  most  gracious 
manner  possible,  preferred  her  request 
to  the  husband  of  the  prima  donna. 

The  colonel,  suave  and  calm  as  usual, 
recognized  the  fact  that  ' '  the  lady  was 
giving  them  very  short  notice,"  but  he 
felt  no  doubt  whatever  apparently  that 
his  wife  would  take  pleasure  in  accom- 
modating her  and  singing  for  her  charity 
with— the  following  proviso  : 

That  every  newspaper  should  an- 
nounce through  its  columns  the  next 
morning,  that  "  At  the  very  last  mo- 
ment, and  at  the  request  of  Mrs.  -  — , 
Madame  Laura  Schirener-Mapleson  had 
kindly  consented  to  sing,"  etc.  A  like 
announcement  must  also  be  made  from 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  121 

the  stage  before  the  performance  com- 
menced. 

Groaning  in.  spirit  under  the  weight 
of  her  bondage,  though  at  the  same  time 
realizing  its  justice  under  the  circum- 
stances, the  lady  accepted  the  colonel's 
terms,  outwardly  with  apparent  good 
grace. 

The  announcements  were  made  as 
directed,  and  Madam,  Mapleson,  beauti- 
fully attired  and  looking  very  hand- 
some, proved  a  great  success  with  her 
audience. 


To  the  suggestion  of  envy  or  selfish- 
ness, as  existing  between  singers  and 
musicians  in  general,  I  must  at  all 
events  indicate  one  exception,  though 
undoubtedly  many  more  exist.  The 
one  I  refer  to  in  the  present  instance  is 
Sig.  Tagliapietra,  the  Italian  with  the 
glorious  baritone  and  perfect  method  ; 
the  singer,  who,  to  voice  the  sentiments 


122      THEATRICAL  SKETCHES. 

of  one  of  the  celebrated  maestros,  could 
have  been  anything  he  chose,  or  oc- 
cupied any  position  he  desired  in  the 
world  of  music,  had  he  been  a  bit 
more  practical,  displayed  more  interest 
in  his  affairs,  and  curbed  his  desire  for 
indulging  in  an  amusement  in  which  he 
found  too  much  pleasure — horse-racing. 
An  occupation  also  exacting  much  time 
and  voice. 

The  singer  has  yet  to  be  heard  who 
can  render  "The  Heart  Bowed  Down" 
from  "The  Bohemian  Girl,"  as  Taglia- 
pietra  renders  it,  or  who  can  so  vita- 
lize to  that  thrilling  degree  the  part 
of  the  Toreador  in  "Carmen."  I 
listened  to  his  impassioned  virile  person- 
ation of  the  latter  character  one  night 
that  the  opera  was  being  given,  and  a 
few  evenings  later  met  him  at  a  private 
musicale ;  there,  as  on  the  stage,  he 
sang  magnificently  as  usual,  and  in 
both  surroundings  his  bearing,  despite 
the  admiration  excited  by  his  talent, 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  123 

remained  as  simple  and  unaffected  as 
that  of  a  child. 

In  the  course  of  the  same  evening, 
Herr  Carl  Streitmann,  then  the  tenor 
of  the  "  Lillian  Russell  Opera  Company. '' 
sang  several  selections  from  "La  Ci- 
gale  "  (the  opera  then  being  presented 
by  the  latter)  most  charmingly. 

As  he  finished,  it  was  a  pleasure  to 
watch  Tagliapietra,  who  had  been  stand- 
ing by  the  piano  while  the  tenor  sang. 
His  "bravos"  and  enthusiasm  were 
beyond  others',  his  feelings  being  ex- 
pressed in  the  most  earnest  and  ingenu- 
ous fashion.  Not  satisfied  that  the 
sweet  notes  should  yet  cease,  he  ex- 
claimed, "Oh,  Streitmann,  sing  this  one 
for  me,  please,"  meanwhile  handing 
Herr  Streitmann  the  number  from  "  La 
Cigale,"  "Trifle  Not  with  Love."  "  It 
is  my  favorite,  you  know,''  he  continued, 
' '  and  you  sing  it  so  beautifully. "  Streit- 
mann smilingly  complied,  fulfilling  the 
request  in  exquisite  style,  and  upon  his 


124  THEATRICAL    SKETCHES. 

reaching  the  finale,  Tagliapietra  again 
lavished  heartfelt  and  generous  appreci- 
ation upon  the  tenor. 


The  opera  comique  companies  are  not 
to  be  distanced  by  their  elder  sisters  of 
grand  opera  in  their  capacity  for  evolv- 
ing disputes,  contentions  and  enmities. 
No  company  of  the  kind,  I  think,  could 
at  one  time  boast  of  a  more  complicated 
state  of  affairs  in  this  direction  than 
the  "  Lillian  Russell  Opera  Company," 
about  the  date  it  reached  Boston  on 
its  tour  through  the  country  with  "  La 
Cigale." 

Several  members  of  the  company  did 
not  attempt  to  screen  the  fact  that  the 
prima-donna  'succeeded  in  rendering 
their  existence  anything  but  a  dream, 
and  so  far  as  the  tenor  and  the  fair  diva 
were  concerned,  they  had  quite  ceased 
to  speak. 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  125 

Though  night  after  night  as  their  roles 
in  the  opera  demanded  that  they  should 
evince  deepest  love  for  one  another,  for 
the  benefit  of  their  audiences,  of  course 
they  did  so,  but  once  the  friendly  shelter 
of  the  "wings"  was  gained  they  re- 
lapsed into  contemptuous  silence.  One 
evening  this  condition  of  affairs  was 
altered  for  a  few  moments,  when  a 
short  conversation  ensued  in  an  under- 
tone while  they  were  still  before  the 
footlights.  Streitmann  was  clasping 
Miss  Eussell  to  his  heart  in  a  very  fervor 
of  artistic  rapture,  and  singing  to  her  of 
his  love  in  the  impassioned  manner  so 
natural  to  him,  when  he  suddenly  heard 
her  say,  "Take  care,  take  care."  A 
slight  pause  occurring  he  quickly  in- 
quired, sotto  voce,  "Of  what  V  "  You 
have  turned  my  face  away  from  the 
audience,"  replied  Miss  Russell. 

As  Streitmann  finished  the  number  he 
almost  shoved  her  from  him,  breathing 
out  fiercely,  "Bah!  You  call  yourself 


126  THEATRICAL    SKETCHES. 

an  artist,  and  can  think  of  such  trifles 
as  that?" 

Later  on  commenced  what  might  be 
termed  the  battle  of  flowers. 

Miss  Attalie  Claire,  who  impersonated 
the  female  role  next  in  importance  to 
Miss  Russell's  in  the  company,  was 
forced  to  suffer  some  severe  penalties 
when  an  impetuous  though  possibly  ill- 
advised  admirer  began  deluging  the 
young  singer  and  the  theatre  with  his 
floral  offerings  in  her  honor,  until  a  veto 
was  put  upon  it  by  u  the  management " 
and  then  the  young  gentleman,  deter- 
mining that  his  action  in  the  matter 
should  not  be  wholly  restrained,  caused 
to  be  displayed  the  flowers  that  would 
otherwise  have  been  sent  to  the  theatre, 
in  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  the 
" Hub's"  shop-windows  hired  for  the 
occasion. 

The  press  and  the  people  vigorously 
discussed  the  incident,  thus  continuing 
to  give  greater  prominence  to  Miss 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  127 

Claire  than  was  at  all  relished  by  the 
head  of  the  organization  to  which  she 
belonged,  and,  in  consequence,  every 
trifle  that  could  add  to  the  former's  an- 
noyance behind  the  scenes  was  now  put 
in  practice.  Finally  one  evening  Miss 
Eussell  told  the  young  lady  she  could  no 
longer  allow  her  to  use  the  blonde  wig 
.she  had  been  wearing  in  her  part,  as 
it  interfered  with  the  effect  of  the  prima 
donna's  own  light  hair. 

All  were  small  matters  in  their  way, 
but  the  wig  proved  the  culminating 
straw,  and  Miss  Claire  proceeded  to  be- 
have in  truly  feminine  fashion,  first  by 
crying  bitterly,  and  then  fainting  dead 
away. 

However,  though  at  one  time  pro- 
ductive of  tears  and  discomfort,  the 
flowers  finally  proved  to  be  Miss  Claire's 
pathway  to  the  altar,  for,  shortly  after 
her  season  with  Miss  Russell  closed,  she 
became  the  wife  of  the  very  wealthy 
young  man  who  had  unwittingly  in- 


128  THEATRICAL    SKETCHES. 

creased  her  troubles  by  his  attentions, 
and  retired  with  him  to  private  life. 


The  advertising  methods  resorted  to 
by  the  managers  of  that  most  difficult 
of  all  things  to  manage,  a  prima  donna, 
are  wonderful  and  varied.  "Losing 
their  diamonds,"  being  followed  by 
non-repressible  admirers,  accidents  and 
robberies,  all  are  resorted  to ;  but 
among  the  most  ingenious  and  unique 
inventors  of  these  necessary  little  booms 
stands  Mr.  James  W.  Morrissey. 

For  some  time  he  directed  the  fort- 
unes of  the  late  Miss  Emma  Abbott, 
whose  great  popular  success  throughout 
the  country  was  very  largely  attribut- 
able to  the  wonderful  manner  in  which 
he  kept  her  before  the  public.  Miss 
Abbott  was  neither  beautiful  nor  par- 
ticularly attractive  in  any  way  ;  she 
was  far  from  being  a  great  artist  in 
grand  opera,  and  yet — she  drew  crowded 


DION    BOUCICAULT  in   "The  Shaughraun. 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  129 

houses,  and  died  possessed  of  large 
wealth. 

"The  Abbott  stage  kiss"  became 
famous,  for  what  reason,  and  in  what 
way,  one  would  have  to  apply  for  par- 
ticulars to  Mr.  Morrissey. 

The  prima-donna  herself  was  pos- 
sessed of  extraordinary  energy  and 
push,  and,  in  combination  with  her  man- 
ager, who  more  than  equalled  her  in 
these  characteristics,  they  usually  found 
themselves  on  the  "top  wave." 

During  one  period  of  her  operatic 
career  the  New  York  papers  were 
filled  with  the  details  of  a  murder  which 
a  man  and  woman  were  jointly  accused 
of  committing.  The  pair  had  stood  two 
trials,  and  were  still  proclaiming  their 
innocence  of  the  deed,  and  calling  for  a 
third,  though  they  had  not  the  means 
for  paying  the  expenses  of  the  same. 

Ever  on  the  alert,  Mr.  Morrissey's 
quick  brain  recognized  here  an  oppor- 
tunity for  his  prima  donna.  Accord - 
9 


130  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

ingly  he  suggested  to  Miss  Abbott  that 
she  should  raise  the  necessary  amount 
to  cover  the  expenses  of  a  third  trial,  by 
"soliciting  subscriptions."  No  sooner 
resolved  upon  than  put  into  practice ; 
Miss  Abbott  and  Mr.  Morrissey  im- 
mediately engaged  a  carriage,  and 
entering  it,  list  in  hand,  drove  to 
the  various  offices  of  the  prominent 
merchants  and  brokers,  obtaining  the 
sums  requested  with  so  little  trouble, 
that  before  two  o'clock,  Miss  Abbott 
had  collected  one  thousand  and  ten 
dollars — a  sum  sufficient  to  cover  the 
expenses  of  a  third  trial  for  these  poor 
wretches.  She  enclosed  to  them  one 
thousand  dollars,  and  then,  feeling 
somewhat  hungry  and  fatigued  after 
her  morning's  work,  used  the  extra  ten  in 
paying  for  a  little  lunch  at  Delmonico's 
which  was  shared  by  her  genial  man- 
ager, during  the  progress  of  which  they 
did  not  forget  to  drink  to  the  success  and 
good  health  of  the  prisoners. 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  131 

The  following  morning  the  papers 
were  filled  with  admiration  and  won- 
der over  the  charity  and  kind  heart  of 
Miss  Emma  Abbott,  and,  as  the  story 
gradually  filtered  through  the  profes- 
sion, you  may  be  sure  Mr.  Morrissey's 
services  as  a  manager  were  in  greater 
demand  than  ever. 


132  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 


dBr.  t)enn>  frvtng's  "i^ceum  abeatre" 
Court. 

THE  public  is  of  course  generally 
aware  that  much  ceremony  attaches  to 
the  Court  of  St.  James,  presided  over  as 
it  is  by  her  Eoyal  Highness,  Queen 
Victoria,  but  I  doubt  if  they  have  equal 
knowledge  of  that  exacted  from  the 
court  surrounding  her  distinguished 
theatrical  subject,  Mr.  Henry  Irving,  in 
his  London  theatre,  the  "Lyceum." 

Several  years  since,  the  late  Lawrence 
Barrett  consummated  arrangements 
with  Mr.  Irving  by  which  he  and  his 
company  should  occupy  the  "Lyceum" 
during  a  summer  season. 

The  final  arrangements  being  com- 
pleted, the  Barrett  company  set  sail  for 
"  the  other  side,''  arriving  in  London  a 
week  before  the  close  of  Mr.  Irviug's 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  133 

season,  and  the  opening  of  their  own, 
and  feeling  naturally  curious  concern- 
ing the  inner  workings  of  the  theatre 
tenanted  hy  the  best-known  actor  of 
his  day,  the  more  prominent  members 
of  the  company,  taking  advantage  of 
Mr.  Irving's  invitation,  made  them- 
selves at  home  both  before  and  behind 
the  curtain. 

All  the  surroundings  seemed  calcu- 
lated to  inspire  awe  ;  the  attendants 
and  attaches  were  drilled  like  soldiers, 
and  there  was  a  tendency  among  them 
to  lower  their  tones  to  the  pitch  regarded 
as  canonical  when  entering  a  church. 
Perfect  order  reigned,  and  all  had  the 
name  of  Irving  upon  their  lips  as  though 
referring  to  some  supreme  deity. 

The  crowning  touch  of  impressiveness 
was  given  by  the  following  ceremony  : 

Before  a  door  which  some  one  whis- 
pered to  you  was  "  Mr.  Irving's  dressing- 
room,"  stood  a  boy  in  rigidly  upright 
position,  whose  duty  in  general  was  to 


134  THEATRICAL    SKETCHES. 

guard  his  master  from  any  sudden  ap- 
proach from  the  outside  world,  and  in 
particular  he  was  known  as  Mr.  Irving's 
private  "call-boy." 

A  moment  before  the  actor's  "  cue" 
would  be  given  for  his  entrance  on  the 
stage,  the  general  "call-boy"  would 
approach  the  former  and  intimate  the 
fact. 

The  private  "call-boy"  then  giving  a 
discreet  tap,  to  which  the  door  would 
be  opened,  imparted  this  information  to 
Mr.  Irving,  and  then  the  youth  advanc- 
ing, with  Mr.  Irving  following  in  his 
wake,  would  make  his  way  to  the 
former's  stage  entrance,  waving  his 
arms  as  though  to  disperse  any  real 
or  imaginary  impediment,  and  at  the 
sametime  crying— 

"Make  way  for  Mr.  Irving." 
' '  Make  way  for  Mr.  Irving. " 
In    this    royal    fashion,    Mr.    Irving 
would    be    finally  ushered    before    his 
audience. 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  135 


"  Duel's  ©ffbanD  Estimate  of 
Dimself. 


THE  ingenuous  view  which  our  friend 
"  Adonis  "  Dixey  takes  of  his  own 
admixture  of  brain  and  tissue  is  con- 
cisely illustrated  by  his  reply  to  a  com- 
parative stranger  who  was  suggesting 
his  adaptability  for  a  piece  in  which  his 
Majesty,  Satan,  was  the  leading  light. 

"  Ah,  yes  !  "  responded  "  Adonis"  D. 
"  I've  frequently  been  told  I  ought  to 
personate  the  c  Devil,  '  I'm  such  a  h  -  1 
of  a  fellow." 


136  THEATEJCAJ.  SKETCHES. 


B  Plagrfgbt's  Interview  witb  tbe 

FROM  "  Adonis"  D.  to  Kichard  Mans- 
field, is,  theatrically  speaking,  a  stride, 
but  the  subject-matter  vanitas — riots 
along  through  the  veins  of  both  in 
equally  healthy  fashion,  possibly  with 
the  odds  in  Richard's  favor,  making 
them — kin. 

A  little  anecdote  is  related  of  the 
latter  who,  though  of  course  the  central 
figure,  played  his  part  upon  this  oc- 
casion, at  least,  nearly  "out  of  sight." 

The  puppets  on  the  scene  were  a 
modest  playwright,  possessed,  for  a 
wonder,  of  an  acknowledged  good  play, 
and  Mrs.  Mansfield— the  latter  on  be- 
half of,  and  the  honored  mouth-piece 
of,  Richard.  The  "  m.  p."  (modest  play- 
wright) not  being  yet  sufficiently  in- 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  137 

noculated  to  enter  direct  to  the  holy  of 
holies,  i.  e.,  Richard's  presence. 

Evidently  bearing  in  mind  the  copy- 
book maxim  of  '"Honesty,"  etc.,  the 
playwright  began  the  interview  by 
stating  that  the  piece  in  question  had 
been  allowed  to  go  en  tour  in  Canada, 
but  had  not  been  exploited  in  the 
United  States. 

Saturated  with  the  importance  of  her 
mission,  Mrs.  Mansfield  raised  her  right 
hand  in  token  of  disapproval — "Noth- 
ing further  need  be  said,"  she  re- 
marked, "  for,  had  you  the  finest  play 
ever  written,  Mr.  Mansfield  would  not 
touch  it ;  he  must  create  the  role  al- 
ways, no  one  else  can  have  had  anything 
to  do  with  it  ;  "  then,  with  a  depreca- 
tory smile,  "with  the  exception,  of 
course  of  those  in  Shakespearean  pro- 
ductions, and  their  having  been  written 
so  many  years  ago  could  hardly  have 
been  helped." 

Just  here  Richard  appeared  and  dis- 


138  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

appeared  at  an  open  door,  a  dissolving 
vision  in  a  quilted  jacket,  as  though  to 
ratify  the  rites. 

It  was  over — and  the  "m.  p.," 
filled  with  a  strange  reproachful  irrita- 
bility towards  the  immortal  William 
for  having  lived  too  soon,  was  silently 
let  down  six  flights  in  an  elevator,  feel- 
ing it  was  only  half  as  far  as  deserved. 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  139 


B  "Realistic  Dream  of  tbe  late  Xester 
THUllacfc. 

DREAMS  in  general  are  of  no  especial 
interest  to  any  one,  unless  it  be  to  the 
dreamer,  who  experiences  a  certain 
sense  of  importance  in  relating  them 
the  following  morning  to  a  select  audi- 
ence whose  hair  may  obligingly  stand 
on  end  with  horror,  or  whose  ear  may 
be  charmed,  according  to  the  subject- 
matter,  but  occasionally  you  hear  of 
one  that  impi'esses  you,  and  the  follow- 
ing, given  to  me  as  authentic,  may 
arrest  attention,  if  only  for  the  reason 
that  it  has  for  its  central  figure  that 
of  the  late  Lester  Wallack. 

Within  the  year  after  Mr.  Wallack's 
death  a  movement  was  inaugurated 
having  for  its  object  the  raising  of  suffi- 
cient funds  by  popular  subscription  to 


140  THEATRICAL    SKETCHES. 

erect  a  statue  in  bronze  of  the  well- 
known  actor  ;  the  same  to  be  placed, 
when  finished,  in  a  suitable  part  of  the 
city  (New  York). 

An  appeal  was  framed  and  issued  ' '  To 
the  Public,''  setting  forth  therein  the 
many  good  reasons  for  the  erection  of 
such  a  statue,  and  signed  by  thirty-four 
of  New  York's  most  prominent  society 
women,  Messrs.  August  Belmont  &  Co. 
graciously  accepting  to  act  as  bankers. 

In  consideration  of  the  immense  pop- 
ularity of  Wallack,  and  "  Wallack's 
Theatre,"  it  seemed  impossible  that  the 
project  should  meet  with  anything  but 
complete  success. 

Alas  for  the  surety  of  human  au- 
guries ! 

After  the  first  few  hundred  dollars 
were  subscribed,  in  some  inexplicable 
way,  the  gracious  work  seemed  to  fall 
through  of  its  own  weight. 

This  proved  a  great  disappointment 
to  many,  particularly  so  to  personal 


THEATRICAL,   SKETCH KS.  141 

friends  of  the  Wallack  family  who  had 
deeply  interested  themselves.  Among 
the  latter  was  a  young  lady  who  had 
been  appointed  the  secretary  and  who 
had  worked  very  earnestly  for  success. 

Before  such  an  idea  as  failure,  how- 
ever, had  been  contemplated,  the 
principal  thought  exercising  her  mind 
was  ivhich  of  Wallaces  numerous 
stage  characters  should  be  selected  to 
most  fittingly  represent  him  in  bronze. 

No  one  seemed  able  to  decide,  not 
even  St.  Gaudens,  who,  by  popular 
voice,  was  to  be  the  sculptor. 

One  day,  while  paying  Mrs.  Wallack 
a  visit,  the  young  secretary  suggested 
what  a  boon  it  would  be  could  Mr. 
Wallack  settle  the  matter  for  them, 
k'for,"  added  she,  "in  that  clean-cut 
graceful,  decisive  way  of  his,  he  would 
decide  in  an  instant,  and  to  perfection." 

As  is  often  the  case  with  a  vexed 
question,  it  haunts  one  with  madden- 
ing persistency,  seeming  as  though  for 


142  THEATRICAL    SKETCHES. 

its  own  sake,  it  sought  a  solution  ;  and 
so  it  was  the  young  lady  could  not 
seem  to  free  herself  from  this  one. 

Seating  herself  at  the  piano  the  same 
evening,  she  sought,  by  playing  over 
some  of  Mr.  Wallack's  favorite  ballads 
—''If  My  Glances  should  Betray  Me," 
sung  in  "Rosedale,*'  ''Once  Again," 
and  so  on,  to  gain  some  distinct  im- 
pression, but,  as  may  be  supposed,  noth- 
ing of  a  supernatural  nature  occurred, 
and  at  last,  vaguely  disappointed,  she 
retired  for  the  night. 

The  following  morning,  however,  she 
awakened  rather  suddenly,  and  sat  up 
with  that  bewildered  sensation  of  some 
strong,  all-pervading  presence  that 
sometimes  marks  the  line  between 
waking  and  dreaming  as  indistinct. 

She  had  an  engagement  with  Mrs. 
Wallack  that  day,  and,  upon  meeting 
her,  said,  "Before  anything  else,  let  me 
tell  you  of  a  dream  I  had  last  night  of 
Mr.  Wallack.  I  call  it  a  dream,  and 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  143 

yet  it  was  so  vivid,  so  real,  that  even 
yet  I  cannot  shake  off  its  effect. 

"  At  first,"  she  proceeded,  "  I  seemed 
to  find  myself  in  a  long,  dark  street 
with  110  distinguishing  features  ;  but, 
as  I  proceeded,  I  came  upon  a  large 
building  I  recognized  as  a  theatre,  and 
before  what  was  apparently  a  side  door, 
over  which  hung  a  swinging-lamp, 
stood  Mr.  Wallack  talking  to  an  at- 
tendant. No  one  else  was  in  sight. 

' '  I  walked  directly  up  to  him,  telling 
him  I  had  come  to  see  him,  though  my 
purpose  only  seemed  to  reveal  itself  to 
me  at  the  moment.  He  replied — 'Yes, 
my  dear,  I  know  it,  I  was  expecting  you; 
and  now  come  inside  at  once,  for  though 
the  night  is  warm,  I  am  very  chilly/ 

"  The  servant,  for  such  he  seemed  to 
be,  with  lighted  torch,  preceded  us 
through  a  chain  of  beautiful,  low-ceiled 
rooms  hung  in  rich  stuffs,  finally  arriv- 
ing at  the  farthest  one,  an  oriental- 
looking  place  done  in  ruby  velvet  and 


144  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

heavy    gold,     with    lights     glittering 
everywhere  like  jewels. 

"  As  we  stood  in  the  middle  of  this 
apartment,  I  said  rather  sadly  to  Mr. 
Wallack,  '  You  know  I  have  come  to 
hid  you  good-bye/  'Yes,'  he  replied, 
'  I  know — we  shall  never  meet  again— 
here.'  I  felt  tears  spring  to  my  eyes, 
and  as  he  rested  one  hand  lightly  on 
my  shoulder,  with  the  evident  intention 
of  comforting  me,  there  came  to  us 
suddenly  the  sound  as  of  a  mighty 
clapping.  '  Hark  ! '  said  he,  as  he 
raised  his  other  hand  in  a  listening 
gesture,  then,  with  a  satisfied  look  upon 
his  face,  he  continued,  'Ah,  there  is 
a  great  house  to-night,  the  largest  I 
have  ever  played  to  ;  hut,'  he  added, 
as  with  a  sigh  his  hand  slipped  from 
my  shoulder,  '  it  is  for  the  last  time,  — 
I  shall  never  play  again.'  Then  rally- 
ing, and  again  addressing  me,  he  said, 
'  They  are  clapping  for  me  to  appear, 
you  know  ;  so  I  must  not  keep  them 


JAMES   W.    MORRISSEY. 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  145 

waiting,  and  now  little  one — a  long 
good-bye. '  And  so  we  parted. 

"The  torch-bearer  preceded  me  as 
before,  and,  feeling  very  grave  and  sad, 
I  followed  him  until  we  had  almost 
reached  the  entrance,  when  I  turned  to 
gain  my  last  look  at  Mr.  Wallack. 

"The  tableau  that  rewarded  me 
caused  me  to  catch  my  breath  in  ad- 
miration. Under  a  great  sunburst  of 
light  that  irradiated  everything  in  a 
dazzling,  unearthly  manner,  in  the  cen- 
tre of  the  ruby-and-gold  room  he  stood, 
attired  in  the  full  white  flowing  robes 
of  an  Arab  chieftain,  and  gleaming 
out  against  the  red  drapery  of  the 
room  as  though  hewn  from  marble,  so 
handsome,  so  chiselled. 

"  Would  that  St.  Gaudens  could  have 
seen  him  at  that  moment,  and  had  he 
been  but  half  true  to  the  original,  he 
would  have  created  a  work  of  art  that 
would  have  been  a  delight  for  all 

time." 
10 


146  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

Having  finished  the  details  of  her 
dream,  the  young  secretary,  in  a  puz- 
zled tone,  asked  Mrs.  Wallack  what  she 
made  of  it  all,  saying,  that  though  Mr. 
Wallack  made  a  magnificent  picture  to 
her  mind  in  the  dress,  still  she  could 
not  see  why  he  should  have  been  cos- 
tumed like  an  Arab. 

Mrs.  Wallack,  without  replying,  rose 
and  requested  the  young  lady  to  follow 
her  into  an  adjoining  room,  then  point- 
ing out  a  very  large,  full-length  photo- 
graph of  Mr.  Wallack  in  the  garb  of  an 
Arab  chieftain,  asked  quietly,  "Was  it 
anything  like  that  ? " 

"  Why,  that  is  it,"  gasped  her  aston- 
ished visitor. 

"  Have  you  never  seen  '  The  Veteran,' 
one  of  Mr.  Wallack's  favorite  char- 
acters ? "  queried  Mrs.  Wallack. 

"Never!"  replied  the  young  lady. 
"Indeed  I  don't  ever  remember  hear- 
ing of  it." 

"Under  those  circumstances,"  mused 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  147 

Mrs.  Wallack,  "  it  seems  very  peculiar 
for  you  to  have  had  this  dream.  I 
wonder,"  she  continued,  "  this  charac- 
ter did  not  occur  to  me  as  the  one  from 
which  to  model  the  statue,  not,  however, 
in  this  Arabian  costume,  but  in  his  own 
short  kilt  and  open  shirt,  worn  before 
he  changed  with  the  Arab.  The  dif- 
ficulty now  will  be  to  obtain  a  photo- 
graph of  him  in  that  costume.  I  have 
none,  and  cannot  tell  you  who  has,  un- 
less possibly  Sarony. " 

The  dream,  however,  decided  the 
choice  of  character  for  the  statue,  for 
the  secretary,  nothing  daunted  by  Mrs. 
Wallack's  reference  to  the  difficulty  of 
obtaining  the  photograph,  spent  some 
days  in  seeking  it  in  the  different  gal- 
leries and  private  collections.  Finally 
in  one  of  the  latter  she  secured  it,  and 
took  it  immediately  to  St.  Gaudens, 
who  pronounced  it  the  perfection  of 
poses,  as  indeed  it  was,  and  a  vast  pity 
it  is  that  this  beautiful  work  of  art,  as 


148  THEATRICAL  SKETCHES. 

it  would  doubtless  have  been  had  the 
necessary  fifteen  thousand  dollars  for 
its  completion  been  forthcoming,  is  not 
commanding  "  Players'  Square. " 


THEATBICAL   SKETCHES.  149 


Signer  JBrignolf  on  a  "Railway  Grain. 

THE  ruling  passion  of  a  tenor  strong 
in  death  (his  voice)  was  exemplified  by 
Signer  Brignoli  one  afternoon  on  a 
railway  train. 

He  was  touring  through  the  countiy 
with  the  "Parepa  Rosa  Concert  Co.," 
which  included,  besides  the  ladies,  Fer- 
ranti,  Jules  Levy,  the  famous  cornet 
player,  and  Mr.  James  W.  Morrissey  as 
treasurer  for  the  company. 

Their  next  stopping-place  was  to  be 
Meadeville,  Penn.,  where  they  intended 
giving  a  concert  that  evening.  Brig- 
noli, always  hospitably  inclined,  leaned 
over  towards  Mr.  Morrissey,  a  few 
miles  before  reaching  their  destination, 
and  invited  the  latter  to  dine  with  him 
upon  their  arrival,  a  courtesy  accepted 
by  the  treasurer  with  pleasure. 


150  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

Approaching  within  sight  of  the 
depot,  every  one  stood  up,  gathering 
their  wraps  together  or  putting  them 
on,  when  the  train  suddenly  gave  a 
violent  lurch  before  coming  to  a  stand- 
still, flinging  Brignoli,  who  was  stand- 
ing in  the  aisle,  flat  on  his  face. 

As  he  fell,  he  exclaimed,  in  his 
broken  English,  "I  am  keeled!  I  am 
keeled  ! "  But  he  gradually  dragged 
himself  to  a  standing  position  near  the 
door,  to  which  he  clung  with  his  left 
hand,  while  he  convulsively  grasped  at 
his  chest  with  his  right,  and,  regardless 
of  the  fact  as  to  whether  every  bone  in 
his  body  might  not  be  broken,  sang 
several  bars  of  the  tenor's  prison  solo 
from  "Trovatore"  in  his  usual  exquis- 
ite style,  ejaculating  as  he  finished- 
Thank  God  !  Thank  God  !  The  voice  is 
still  there.  Come  on,  Morrissey,  let  us 
go  and  dine." 


THEATRICAL  SKETCHES.  151 


ffames  Id.  jfllborrf seed's  /Musical  Congress 
under  tbe  patronage  of  Bom  iPeDro  f  f . 

DURING  the  "Centennial"  year  at 
Philadelphia,  James  W.  Morrissey  was, 
for  the  time  being,  principally  engaged 
in  booming  "  Decker  Brothers' "  pianos. 
It  was  not  exactly  in  his  line  of  busi- 
ness— but  then  the  methods  of  making 
bread  and  butter  are  not  always 
matters  of  choice.  At  the  time  men- 
tioned, the  pianos  were  not  going  out, 
or  the  bread  and  butter  coming  in  as 
rapidly  as  seemed  desirable,  and  as 
necessity  is  surely  the  mother  of  inven- 
tion, it  occurred  to  the  versatile  man- 
ager, that  a  "  Musical  Congress"  com- 
bining a  series  of  concerts,  which 
would  include  the  best  talent  procur- 
able, and  at  which  the  Decker  pianos 
would  be  used,  as  a  matter  of  course, 


152  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

would  be  the  greatest  advertisement 
for  the  latter  that  could  be  conceived 
at  the  moment.  For  Mr.  Morrissey 
to  think  is  to  act,  and  within  a  very 
short  time  his  plans  for  the  above 
were  formed  and  he  had  obtained  the 
names  of  Clara  Louise  Kellogg,  Annie 
Louise  Gary,  Mme.  Zelda  Seguin,  Sig- 
nor  Brignoli,  Remmertz,  Ferranti,  and 
a  host  of  equally  celebrated  and  popu- 
lar artists  for  his  programme. 

Dom  Pedro  (the  Emperor  of  Brazil), 
and  his  suite  having  arrived  in  Phila- 
delphia, it  also  occurred  to  the  enthusi- 
astic head  of  this  musical  enterprise  if 
he  could  arrange  to  give  it  under  the 
patronage  of  the  emperor  it  would 
add  very  materially  to  its  lustre  and 
brilliancy.  He  accordingly  obtained 
an  audience  with  Dom  Pedro,  and  pre- 
ferred his  request,  which  was  most 
graciously  granted.  At  the  same  time 
Mr.  Morrissey  begged  to  place  a  box  at 
the  emperor's  disposal  for  each  concert. 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  153 

The  emperor  said  he  should  be  de- 
lighted to  attend  the  performances, 
being  extravagantly  fond  of  music,  but 
he  must  be  allowed  the  privilege  of 
paying  for  his  own  box,  which  he  did, 
sending  for  it  regularly  every  morning 
as  long  as  the  affair  lasted.  Upon  the 
occasion  of  the  opening  night,  the 
Academy  was  decorated  from  pit  to 
dome  with  flags,  drapery  and  flowers, 
the  emperor's  box,  of  course,  being 
most  lavishly  done  up.  A  vast  audi- 
ence filled  every  seat  and  niche  of 
standing-room,  the  previous  advertis- 
ing having  been  accomplished  in  the 
most  discreet  and  attractive  manner. 
Dom  Pedro  and  suite  were  in  his  box, 
the  programme  was  being  fulfilled  in 
more  than  satisfactory  fashion,  and 
Mr.  Morrissey,  content  with  what  he 
had  so  far  achieved,  was  standing  in 
the  lobby  near  the  box-office,  convers- 
ing with  some  friends,  when  he  heard 
his  name  pronounced.  Turning  his 


154      THEATRICAL  SKETCHES. 

head  he  found  himself  confronted  by  a 
man  attired  in  a  magnificent  uniform, 
and  whom  he  recognized  as  one  of  the 
royal  aides.  The  latter  proffered  him 
a  note,  remarking  at  the  same  time, 
"From  the  emperor." 

The  manager  hastily  opened  the  pen- 
ciled message  from  royalty,  in  which 
he  found  he  was  requested,  if  it  were 
not  too  late,  to  have  a  number  desig- 
nated as  a  Chopin  Waltz  on  the  pro- 
gramme altered  to  List's  Rhapsodie, 
No.  2,  and  signed,  "Dom  Pedro." 

Mr.  Morrissey  instantly  sent  a  mes- 
senger back  on  the  stage  to  Julia  Rive 
the  pianiste,  asking  her  not  to  appear 
until  he  had  spoken  with  her,  then,  re- 
questing the  aide  to  follow  him,  they 
went  behind  the  scenes  and  made  the 
necessary  explanation  to  the  artiste. 

On  the  way  ' '  back, "  the  emperor's  note 
presented  the  idea  of  a  "  magnificent 
ad."  to  the  managerial  mind,  but  sup- 
pressing the  desire  of  using  it  for  any 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  155 

such  purpose  until  he  had  received  a 
proper  sanction,  he  turned  to  the  aide, 
saying,  "I  would  like  the  emperor's 
permission  to  read  his  note  to  the 
audience,  as  it  seems  to  be  due  them,  as 
well  as  to  Mme.  Rive,  to  account  for 
the  change  in  the  programme." 

The  aide  replying  that  the  respon- 
sibility would  be  his,  Mr.  Morrissey, 
nothing  loath,  stepped  before  the  foot- 
lights and  read  the  note  aloud.  Cheer 
after  cheer  arose  from  the  great  audi- 
ence, and  when  Mme.  Rive  appeared 
and  rendered  the  selection  "  by  re- 
quest," the  emperor  rose,  and  re- 
mained standing  during  the  entire 
number,  at  the  finish  sending  the  ar- 
tiste a  beautiful  floral  offering.  The 
enthusiasm  of  the  public  seemed  bound- 
less. 

Subsequently  Decker  Brothers  and 
Mr.  Morrissey  realized  the  substantial 
benefit  that  may  accrue  from  the  pen- 
cilled lines  of  an  emperor. 


156  THEATRICAL    SKETCHES. 


Xetter    and  ILines  from  Xoute  James. 

I  THINK,  from  all  accounts,  it  must 
have  been  at  the  time  of  the  "silly 
season "  so  called,  or,  in  other  words, 
during  the  summer  vacation,  that  Mr. 
Louis  James'  superabundant  vitality 
and  boyish  love  of  fun,  found  their 
most  natural  vent.  At  all  events  it  is 
about  this  time  that  those  who  have 
the  privilege  of  his  acquaintance  hear 
of  most  of  the  tragedian's  pranks. 

The  same  young  girl  who  made  in- 
quiries of  him  in  reference  to  Kyrle 
Bellew's  married  or  single  state,  had 
occasion  to  send  a  note  to  Mr.  James 
the  ensuing  summer,  from  the  watering- 
place  at  which  she  was  quartered,  and 
when  his  reply  arrived,  laughingly 
acceded  to  my  request  for  its  posses- 


THEATRICAL  SKETCHES.      157 

sion,  in  revenge,  she  suggested,  for  the 
blow  he  had  dealt  the  Bellew  matinee- 
girl  contingent  by  giving  confirmations 
of  the  former's  connubial  state  ;  adding 
it  would  be  fun  to  make  the  tragedian 
quake  by  seeing  his  nonsense  exposed  to 
the  critical  public. 

I  give  the  letter  in  full,  not  in  "  re- 
venge," but  as  amusing ;  also  some 
lines  attached  to  a  photograph  of  him- 
self, which  arrived  at  the  same  time. 
The  photograph  presented  Mr.  James 
in  evening  dress,  his  head  adorned  with 
a  very  becoming  short,  crisp  white  wig. 
It  was  as  he  appeared  in  an  act  of 
"One  of  our  Girls,"  during  the  single 
season,  of  late  years,  that  he  lapsed 
from  tragedy  to  comedy,  at  the  "  Ly- 
ceum "  theatre,  New  York. 

He,  by  the  way,  received  a  very  goodly 
share  of  homage  from  the  matinee-girl 
during  that  winter,  always  insisting, 
however,  that  it  was  all  due  to  his  curly 
white  wig. 


158  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

But  to  the  letter  now,  which  is  dated 
from  a  spot  on  the  Massachusetts  coast. 

"DEAR : 

"  '  As  unto  the  bow  the  cord  is,  so  unto  man  is 
woman.'  The  relation  you  bear  us  is  even  of 
a  stronger  arid  more  tenacious  nature  than  the 
attachment  of  the  aforesaid  cord  to  the  ditto 
bow. 

"  I  presume  you  are  the  queen  of  the  region  you 
at  present  inhabit,  and  many  a  poor  fellow  looks 
upon  your  rosy  cheek  and  killing  eye  wondering 
who  will  draw  the  prize.  Now  don't  permit  any 
mere  summer  adorer  to  aspire  to  the  place  I  hold 
in  your  heart  of  hearts  ;  don't  be  a  fickle  child,  but 
take  example  by  me  and  keep  your  '  heart  true  to 
Poll.' 

"  We  are  enjoying  our  '  otium  cum  dig,'  what- 
ever that  may  be,  and  adding  to  our  avoirdupois ; 
covering  our  '  neck-bones '  so  that  decollete 
dresses  may  be  worn  without  fear  of  showing  up 
salt-cellars  and  the  Bony-part  family  to  an  unsym- 
pathetic public. 

"  Speaking  of  that,  I'm  having  a  '  sweet  thing  ' 
made  in  dresses,  I  can  tell  you, — a  delicate  wine- 
colored  foulard  with  under-vest  a  la  '  Man.' 
Revers  of  lace,  and  ruffled  underskirt  to  waist  of 
same.  Hat  to  match,  made  of  straw  and  lace. 

"  And,  oh,  you  dear  thing,  I  forgot.  I'm  having 
a  new  '  Mother  Hubbard '  made.  It's  lavender, 
with  fluffs  of  lace  down  the  front,  insertion  of  lace 
in  the  yoke,  lace  flounces,  and  the  loveliest  thing 
in  petticoats  you  have  ever  seen — all  lace  (Spanish) 
to  the  waist,  so  when  I  raise  my  dress  slightly,  I'm 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  159 

simply  a  dream.  No  stockings,  just  legs  tinted  to 
match  lavender  '  Hub.'  Don't  scorn  a  Mamma 
Hubbard ;  if  you  knew  the  comforts  of  a  good 
aforesaid,  you'd  never  be  without  one. 

"  I  wear  my  hair  short  (being  short,  alas,  of  that 
article  in  spots).  It's  the  fashion  now,  besides  it's 
comfortable  in  hot  weather,  and,  moreover,  it  is 
economical,  as  it  saves  wear  and  tear  on  hair- 
brushes. 

"You  remember  Mrs.  Wrinkle,  dear,  do  you? 
Well — she's  bought  a  new  phaeton  !  Now  we  all 
know  the  condition  of  her  finances,  so  the  question 
naturally  arises  at  our  quiet  resort — '  WHERE 
does  the  money  come  from  ? ' 

"I'm  not  at  all  curious,  as  you  know,  but  it 
would  content  me  much  to  discover  particulars. 

"This  spot  is  so  distressingly  healthy,  '  no  ills 
that  flesh  is  heir  to '  seem  to  find  us  out.  I  am 
happy  to  say  we  are  all  blooming,  and  that  I,  the 
'  Poor  Zingara  Girl '  am  a  bud  of  much  promise, 
though  I  fear  fated  to  blush  unseen  by  the  eye  of 
man. 

"  To  your  household  I  send  a  heart  full  of  love  ; 
kiss  Jack  for  me.  Cruel  thing  !  he  never  allows 
me  that  privilege  any  more — O  God  !  There  was 
a  time —  Alas  !  'tis  past.  If  he  won't  accept,  kick 
him,  a  good  swift  one. 

"  Be  good,  say  your  prayers  and  rest,  is  the  com- 
mand of  yours  in  a  state  of  holy  bliss 

"The  giddy 
"  LOUISA." 

The  following,  are  the  "  lines"  re- 
ferred to. 


160  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

"  As  on  this  sylph-like  form  you  gaze, 

Whom  Nature  true  assigns, 
Not  only  as  the  Counterfeit, 
But  author  of  these  lines. 

"  Do  you  observe  my  lovely  eye, 

The  sternness  of  my  look  ? 
'  Twas  owing  to  a  flirting  fly 
That  buzzed  as  I  was  '  took.' 

"  He  flew  about  my  wig-ged  head, 

Then  lit  upon  my  nose, 
And  at  one  time,  I  really  thought 
We'd  surely  come  to  blows. 

"  When  in  my  grave-clothes,  I'm  '  laid  out,'- 

And  you  this  '  pictur '  see, 
Oh,  drop  a  silent  tear,  sweet  maid 
And  sometimes  think  of  me  ! " 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  161 


influence  Eierdseo  b£  a  IHUbite  Satin 
£ea*(3oYvn  upon  tbe  ©penlng  of  a  {Tbeatre. 

FOR  those  who  have  held  their  doubts, 
the  following  incident  cannot  fail  to 
convince  that  "  petticoat  government" 
is  no  myth,  possibly  emphasized  when 
it  is  a  "  thing  of  beauty." 

The  sterner  sex  have  been  known  to 
loudly  proclaim  the  joy  they  experience 
in  one  place  at  least  on  this  troubled 
sphere  where  they  rule  supreme — their 
clubs  ;  that  only  there  are  they  exempt 
from  the  exactions  of  woman,  lovely 
woman  ! 

But  are  they  ? 

She  may  not  be  en  evidence,  yet 
there  is  always  a  "  poper  behind  the 
throns,"  even  in  men's  clubs,  and  I 

think,  as  usual,  we  may  "  cherchez  la 
11 


162  THEATRICAL    SKETCHES. 

femme,  with  the  same  surety  of  success 
in  finding  her. 

With  what  scorn  would  the  two 
thousand  and  odd  brawny  members  of 
a  prominent  organization  receive  the 
proposition  that  a  woman's  filmy  white 
satin  and  lace  "tea-gown,"  could  be 
an  important  factor  in  the  opening  of 
a  magnificent  building  erected  with 
the  one  purpose  in  view  of  furnish- 
ing them  with  amusement,  and  of 
exclusively  sheltering  their  own  manly 
forms  ? 

Surprising  as  it  may  be  for  them  to 
realize  it,  such  upon  one  occasion  was 
the  fact. 

The  Manhattan  Athletic  Club  of  New 
York  City  having  attained  the  mem- 
bership given  above  and  built  for  them- 
selves a  magnificent  club-house  on 
Madison  Avenue,  decided,  upon  comple- 
tion of  the  latter,  to  hold  a  "house- 
warming  "  on  its  stately  premises,  that 
they  might  give  their  friends  and  the 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  163 

public  some  idea  of  their  palatial  sur- 
roundings before  taking  possession. 
The  principal  feature  of  amusement 
suggested  for  the  occasion  being  a 
theatrical  performance  to  be  given  in 
the  beautiful  little  theatre  attached  to 
the  club  proper.  The  talent  collected 
for  this,  coiisistde  of  about  thirty  men, 
members  of  the  club,  and  as  nothing 
was  to  be  spared  that  would  lend  eclat 
to  the  affair,  it  was  decided  to  have  a 
burlesque  written  expressly  for  them. 

Accordingly,  upon  the  decision  being 
rendered,  the  president  of  the  com- 
mittee on  theatricals,  set  himself  im- 
mediately to  work  to  find  the  play- 
wright who  would  satisfy  their  require- 
ments. 

The  only  people  he  thought  of  apply- 
ing to  were  men  whom  he  knew  of  in 
the  profession,  but  in  every  instance 
there  seemed  to  be  some  good  reason 
why  these  could  not  accept  the  com- 
mission. 


164      THEATRICAL  SKETCHES. 

The  time  now  lacked  but  six  or  seven 
weeks  to  the  date  fixed  upon  for  the 
opening  of  the  club,  and  growing  des- 
perate one  day  in  the  realization  of  the 
fact  that  the  most  expert  writer  must 
be  given  a  fair  opportunity  to  materi- 
alize good  work,  he  called  upon  Mr. 
James  W.  Morrissey,  the  genial  man- 
ager (at  that  time)  of  the  "Madison 
Square  Garden  "  and  "  Garden  Theatre," 
and  asked  to  be  directed  by  him  to  some 
one  upon  whom  he  could  rely  to  carry 
out  his  plan.  To  his  surprise,  Mr.  Mor- 
rissey gave  him  the  address  of  a  lady, 
saying,  if  any  one  could  do  it,  she  could 
if  she  would. 

The  president  of  theatricals  took  the 
address  offered  him,  though,  as  he  after- 
wards confessed,  in  a  very  doubting 
spirit.  But  needs  must  when  necessity 
drives,  and  so,  within  the  hour  he  was 
inquiring  of  the  lady's  maid  for  her 
mistress. 

The  lady,  who  was  young,  and  proini- 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  165 

nent  in  the  world  of  society,  having  just 
returned  from  a  tour  of  the  summer 
watering-places,  sat  surrounded  by  her 
trunks,  the  unpacking  of  which  she  was 
superintending,  when  the  servant,  who 
had  admitted  the  gentleman',  announced 
that  "some  one  from  Mr.  Morrissey  de- 
sired to  see  her." 

Having  business  relations  with  the 
manager,  she  quickly  decided  he  had 
sent  her  some  word  by  messenger,  and 
seizing  a  white  satin  and  lace  "tea- 
gown,''  the  most  convenient  garment 
within  reach,  hastily  donned  it,  and 
descended  to  the  drawing-room. 

To  her  surprise,  in  place  of  the  usual 
messenger  she  expected  to  find,  a  very 
handsome  young  man,  attired  in  correct 
morning  costume,  rose  and  introduced 
himself. 

After  some  preamble,  he  said  he  had 
come  to  ask  her  to  write  a  burlesque  to 
be  used  for  the  opening  of  the  "Man- 
hattan Athletic  Club"  house,  at  the 


166  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

same  time  offering  Mr.  Morrissey's  name 
as  a  credential. 

"But,"  objected  the  young  lady,  "  I 
do  not  understand  why  Mr.  Morrissey 
suggested  your  coming  to  me  for  such 
a  purpose,  as  I  have  never  written  a 
burlesque,  and  I  do  not  think  it  would  be 
wise  of  me  to  emulate  the  self-coiilideiit 
Irishman,  who,  though  never  having 
played  on  a  violin,  decided  he  could  if 
he  tried.  Besides,"  she  added  conclu- 
sively, "  I  have  not  done  any  work  ex- 
cept for  '  professionals,'  and  you  must 
not  feel  offended  if  I  suggest  that, 
from  all  I  have  ever  heard  of  amateurs, 
I  should  prefer  not  to  enter  that  field." 

"Well,  you  see,"  urged  the  young 
gentleman,  "  many  of  our  men  have 
been  considered  the  best  actors  in  the 
'  Columbia  Dramatic'  (the  most  promi- 
nent amateur  society  in  the  city),  and 
you  would  find  them  quite  different 
from  the  usual  run."  He  then  added 
very  impressively,  "Do  consent,  for  I 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  167 

am  perfectly  certain  you  can  write  the 
burlesque  if  you  only  will." 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  can  be  certain 
of  anything  of  the  kind,"  retorted  she, 
"  never  having  met  me  before  in  your 
life." 

"Still,"  he  observed,  with  possibly  a 
trace  of  apology  in  his  tone,  "  I  feel  im- 
pressed that  you  can,  and  beg  you  will 
agree  to  it." 

After  much  more  of  the  same  per- 
suasive order,  and  apparent  blind  faith 
in  her  power  to  accomplish  anything 
to  which  she  "set  her  mind,"  though 
somewhat  wondering  at  the  trust  placed 
in  her  capacit}^  by  an  entire  stranger  to 
accomplish  what  was,  after  all,  some- 
thing to  which  was  attached  no  small 
responsibility,  she  agreed,  that  being 
Saturday,  to  take  the  matter  under 
consideration  until  Monday  at  the  same 
hour,  when  the  young  manager  prom- 
ised to  return  and  receive  her  final 
answer. 


168  THEATRICAL    SKETCHES. 

"If  by  any  chance,"  said  the  young 
playwright,  "an  appropriate  and  con- 
vincing plot  occurs  to  me  in  the  inter- 
im, that  is,  one  that  is  strikingly 
original,  and  will  carry  itself,  I  will 
undertake  it,  if  not — I  shall  decline." 

The  young  gentleman  then  took  his 
departure,  assuring  her,  before  he  left, 
of  his  entire  belief  that  she  would  be 
successful. 

Upon  finding  herself  alone,  the  ob- 
ject of  this  sudden  influx  of  faith  at 
first  decided  she  had  been  extremely 
lacking  in  common  sense  for  having 
promised  to  regard  the  matter  seriously. 
"For  it  is  preposterous,  after  all," 
mused  she,  "for  me  to  dream  of  writ- 
ing a  thing  of  this  kind,  providing  the 
music,  and  having  it  on  the  stage  in  six 
weeks  from  the  present  date."  As  the 
last  thought  forced  its  way  in  upon 
her,  she  experienced  a  sensation  of 
panic,  and  prepared  to  despatch  a  note 
to  the  club  immediately,  containing  her 


THEATKICAL   SKETCHES.  169 

declination  ;  but  she  hesitated,  and 
thereby  committed  herself  to  the  hard- 
est six  weeks'  labor  of  her  life,  for  late 
on  the  ensuing  Sunday  afternoon,  after 
continuous  thinking,  an  absolute  inspi- 
ration seemed  to  come  to  her,  and  dash- 
ing down  the  thoughts  as  they  took 
form,  she  finally  came  to  a  stop  at  the 
bottom  of  her  seventh  page  of  foolscap, 
realizing,  as  she  did  so,  that  she  had 
the  outlines  for  a  plot  such  as  was  re- 
quired. 

When  her  visitor  was  announced  on 
Monday  morning,  she  was  prepared  for 
him,  MS.  in  hand,  and,  after  reading  it 
aloud,  was  convinced  by  his  excessive 
enthusiasm  that  she  had  more  than  real- 
ized his  wishes.  So,  without  further 
parley,  contracts  were  drawn  up,  and 
the  young  authoress  commenced  her 
work. 

For  six  weeks  she  labored  unceas- 
ingly, in  reality,  day  and  night.  As 
soon  as  the  first  act  was  finished  it  was 


170  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

put  in  rehearsal,  she  of  course  immedi- 
ately proceeding  with  the  second. 

Nothing  was  spared  by  the  club  in 
the  way  of  expense  ;  the  scenery  was 
painted  by  the  best  professional  scenic 
artists,  the  costumes  fashioned  by  a 
prominent  costumer,  and  all  the  pro- 
fessional coaches  employed  necessary 
for  the  burlesque  itself,  and  the  inci- 
dental singing  and  dancing,  notwith- 
standing the  great  weight  of  the  affair, 
fell  first  on  the  playwright  and  on  the 
president  of  theatricals. 

The  latter  coming  every  day  to  con- 
sult with  the  former,  receive  finished 
MS.  and  so  on,  found  her  always  forg- 
ing ahead,  sustained  by  the  grim  deter- 
mination to  keep  her  contract  to  the 
letter  ;  in  fact,  more  than  keep  it,  for, 
besides  writing  the  burlesque  and 
lyrics,  choosing  the  greater  part  of  the 
music  and  composing  the  remainder, 
she  attended  almost  all  rehearsals,  led 
the  chorus  (upon  finding  they  remained 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  171 

very  inefficient  and  spiritless  under 
professional  training),  and  consulted  in 
the  business  details. 

The  young  man  afterwards  con- 
fessed that  undertaking  the  manage- 
ment of  thirty  male  amateurs  proved  a 
greater  task  than  he  had  imagined,  and 
fifty  times  he  was  on  the  point  of  giv- 
ing up  the  whole  thing  in  sheer  despair, 
and  probably  would  have  done  so,  had 
it  not  been  for  the  encouragement  and 
support  he  received  from  the  young 
authoress,  who  never  allowed  the  sug- 
gestion of  failure  to  be  made  after  she 
had  given  her  final  decision  to  under- 
take the  work. 

The  gratification  of  success  was 
theirs,  however,  though  the  tension 
was  strained  almost  to  the  breaking 
point  to  accomplish  it. 

The  burlesque  was  produced  with 
every  detail  perfected  on  the  night  first 
designated,  and  not  only  fullfilled  its 
mission  of  opening  the  house,  but  was 


172  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

pronounced  a  great  success,  being 
given  upon  many  subsequent  occasions, 
and  always  meeting  with  the  same 
reception. 

At  the  close  of  the  evening,  while 
congratulations  were  in  order,  the 
president  of  theatricals  intimated  to 
the  playwright  that  he  had  a  con- 
fession to  make,  preluding  by  asking 
her  if  she  knew  or  could  guess  how  the 
burlesque  had  come  to  be  written. 

She  replied  she  did,  for  without 
any  apology  being  offered  for  her  lan- 
guage, she  thought  she  might  honestly 
say — "  by  the  sweat  of  her  brow." 

"No,  no,"  hastily  interrupted  the 
young  gentleman,  "not  that.  I  know 
how  very  hard  you  worked,  but  I  mean 
the  cause  of  your  writing  it  at  all  ? " 

She  suggested  if  he  was  offering  her 
a  conundrum  she  "gave  it  up." 

"Well,"  said  he,  in  rather  shame- 
faced fashion,  "  when  Morrissey  gave 
me  the  address  of  a  lady,  I  jumped  to 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  173 

the  conclusion  that,  through  absolute 
necessity,  for  the  next  six  weeks  I 
should  be  forced  into  constant  commu- 
nication with  a  stern-visaged,  elderly 
t  blue-stocking,'  and  the  relief  was 
so  great  when  you  came  flying  down- 
stairs, attired  in  that  white  satin  gown, 
that  I  determined,  then  and  there, 
you  should  write  the  burlesque,  and  I 
would  not  accept  '  no'  for  answer." 

"Then,"  said  the  nonplussed  young 
woman,  after  an  instant's  pause  to  re- 
cover from  her  astonishment,  "your 
extreme  desire  for  me  to  write  it,  and 
supreme  faith  in  my  powers,  was  not 
due  to  the  impression  I  made  upon  you, 
of  superior  intelligence,  but  rather  to 
the  beauty  and  becomingness  of  my 
1  tea- gown  i " ' 

"I'm  afraid  that's  about  it,"  re- 
luctantly admitted  the  young  presi- 
dent. 

It  seemed  so  ludicrous  that  a  pre- 
tentious undertaking,  such  as  the 


174  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

one  just  accomplished,  backed  by  a 
dignified  body  of  over  two  thousand 
men,  should  have  hung  upon  a  thing 
so  frail  as  a  concoction  of  satin  and 
lace,  and  the  susceptibility  of  one  in- 
dividual for  the  same,  that  the  play- 
wright indulged  in  a  ringing  laugh, 
rather  to  the  dismay  of  her  companion. 
"Well!"  said  she,  finally,  "  as  it 
happened,  your  luck  was  uppermost, 
and  everything  has  turned  out  satis- 
factorily ;  but  it  strikes  me  your  de 
cision  was  a  risky  one,  and  I  advise 
you,  for  the  peace  of  your  future  ex- 
istence in  the  club,  not  to  acknowledge 
to  the  rest  of  its  members  the  influence 
that  was  brought  to  bear  upon  them 
by  a  white  satin  '  tea-gown.'  ' 


THE  ATE  1C  AL    SKETCHES.  175 


TKHbistimg  as  a  tftne  Brt. 

IT  is  foolish  in  these  kaleidoscopic 
days  of  the  nineteenth  century,  for  any 
one  to  present,  or  try  to  preserve  a  de- 
cided taste  or  opinion  in  reference  to 
anything  or  anybody.  Having  done  so, 
possibly  the  first  day  of  January,  one 
may  be  obliged  to  feel  disgusted  and 
privately  contemptuous  of  one's  self  by 
the  first  day  of  February,  upon  dis- 
covering they  have  been  influenced  by 
the  popular  voice,  and  are  floating  with 
the  current  as  rapidly  as  the  rest.  If 
you  are  not,  you  might  as  well  be, 
for,  to  be  paradoxical,  the  "  still  small 
voice  "  you  feebly  raise  to  stem  the  tide 
is  drowned  by  the  roar  of  the  multi- 
tude before  its  message  can  reach  the 
ear. 

In    point    of    fact,     the    sheep    will 


176  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

continue  to  follow,  unknowing,  and 
uncaring,  bleating  and  blocking  up  the 
highway  so  long  as  any  one  chooses  to 
take  the  trouble  to  lead.  Let  us  not  be 
making  invidious  comparisons,  how- 
ever, because,  after  all,  the  person  who 
11  breaks  ground"  in  a  new  field,  and 
ploughs  straight  through  to  victory,  is 
certainly,  to  borrow  a  delightful  expres- 
sion from  the  sporting  world,  "  clear 
sand," — more  especially  when  the  per- 
son happens  to  be  a  member  of  the 
gentler  sex,  and  therefore,  perhaps, 
should  not  have  the  nature  of  the  tools 
employed  too  closely  scrutinized. 

But  even  the  meekest  of  us  who  have 
been  cowed  into  submission,  and  been 
forced  to  degenerate  in  our  ideas  and 
desire  for  true  art,  by  the^/m  de  siecle 
caterer  of  amusements,  who,  much  like 
the  western  tavern  hosts  of  old,  with 
pistol  pointed  at  the  first  one  of  his 
cowering  guests  who  dared  to  murmur 
against  his  rations,  making  use  at  the 


THEATRICAL   SKETCH*^.  177 

same  time  of  the  now  historic  remark, 
"You'll  eat  your  hash,  and  you'll  like 
it  too,"  occasionally  get  possessed  with 
the  absurd  idea  of  entering  a  protest 
against  the  bizarre  drapery  with  which 
the  goddess  is  frequently  adorned  ? 

I  must  confess  the  latter  portion  of 
the  western  host's  remark  did  not  ful- 
fil itself  with  many  of  us  upon  the  oc- 
casion of  a  certain  musicale  given  one 
evening  several  years  ago,  at  the  house 
of  a  great  music-lover.  Up  to  a  cer- 
tain hour,  the  programme  rendered, 
for  a  house  concert,  had  been  simply  re- 
markable and  artistic  beyond  criticism. 
One  celebrated  artist  after  another  had 
added  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  guests, 
who  were  fairly  wide-eyed  with  as- 
tonishment over  the  feast  offered  them 
by  their  hostess.  But,  to  go  back  for  a 
little,  a  day  or  two  before  the  date  of 
her  musicale,  the  latter  had  received  a 
note  from  one  of  the  stockholders  of  the 

"Metropolitan   Opera    House,"    whose 
12 


178  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

taste  in  music  of  the  higher  order  she 
had  faith  in,  asking  if  her  programme 
for  the  coming  event  was  full,  and  if 
not,  he  would  send  her  some  one  who 
would  be  ' '  sui  generis, "  a  lady,  whose 
accomplishment  he  would  leave  her  to 
display  as  a  surprise. 

Though  the  programme  was  already 
perfected,  this  mysterious  offer  was  ac- 
cepted by  the  hostess  because  of  the  re- 
liance she  placed  in  her  correspondent. 

To  return  to  the  evening  in  question, 
after  some  charming  selections  had 
been  rendered,  there  came  a  little  lull 
before  the  other  artists  present  should 
appear,  and  the  hostess,  considering 
this  a  propitious  time  for  developing 
the  so-called  surprise,  approached  a 
handsome-looking  woman,  who  had 
entered  late,  smiling,  and  with  a  slight 
hesitation,  she  said,  "  I  presume  this  is 
Mrs.  Shaw  ;  you  must  pardon  me,  I  do 
not  know  what  it  is  you  do,  but  this 
seems  the  right  moment  for  doing  it." 


THEATKICAL   SKETCHES.  179 

Mrs.  Shaw  promptly  responded,  "  I 
whistle." 

The  hostess  checked  her  astonish- 
ment, and  the  sensation  of  having 
received  a  cold  douche,  as  promptly  as 
possible,  and  making  the  best  of  things, 
led  the  performer  to  the  piano,  at  the 
same  time  quietly  making  the  an- 
nouncement to  her  guests  of  what  they 
were  about  to  hear. 

Her  own  fortitude  could  not,  however, 
prevent  the  chill  that  crept  through  the 
long  drawing-rooms,  or  stop  the  signifi- 
cant glances  exchanged,  implying  the 
bad  taste  of  introducing  any  such 
diversion  as  the  present  one  offered, 
nor  did  the  temperature  regain  its 
tropical  warmth  until  an  Italian  tenor 
in  high  favor  sang  forgetfulness  of  all 
else  into  the  souls  of  his  audience. 

Such  was  the  absolute  impression 
created  at  the  time  of  Mrs.  Shaw's 
society  debut  as  a  whistler. 

It  may  be  her  accomplishment,  like 


180  THEATRICAL    SKETCHES. 

olives,  became  an  acquired  taste ;  at  all 
events  her  triumph  and  success  have 
been  indisputable,  and  has  proved  the 
means  of  her  earning  a  handsome  liv- 
ing for  herself  and  others. 

I  cannot  see  that  any  difference  has 
been  made  in  the  treatment  of  hers  and 
the  most  divine  art — for  has  she  not 
shared,  equally  with  the  expounders  of 
the  latter,  the  tribute  and  distinction  of 
special  audience  before  crowned  heads, 
concerts  where  the  public  paid  a  guinea, 
and  two  guineas  to  listen  to  her ; 
and  have  not  most  of  the  people  who 
criticized  her  at  the  time  of  her  debut, 
forgotten  their  cynical  remarks  of  the 
first  of  January  and  succumbed  to  the 
February  thaw  ? 


THEATRICAL  SKETCHES.      181 


2>rawtnfi*room  Entertainer  witb  pro* 
fessional  H^nratton». 


BEWARE  of  the  aspiring  drawing-room 
entertainer  who  desires  to  effect  his  or 
her  appearance  before  the  footlights  by 
way  of  the  private  entrance  offered  by 
some  guileless  hostess  impregnated 
with  the  worthy  desire  of  entertaining 
her  friends,  and,  at  the  same  time,  giv- 
ing the  unknown  genius  "a  lift." 

Such  is  the  burden  of  the  wail  of  one 
aggrieved  woman  who  has  occasion- 
ally opened  her  portals  too  wide,  and 
has,  in  consequence,  realized  several 
bitter  fiascos  occasioned  by  these  same 
self-styled  geniuses.  These  dire  results 
also  having  engendered  an  icy  distrust 
of  the  taste  and  knowledge  of  certain 
of  those  among  her  friends  who  have 
enthusiastically  foisted  their  monstrosi- 


182  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

ties  of  art  upon  her  and  her  unsuspect- 
ing guests. 

Embittered  as  she  now  is  by  her 
experiences,  her  invariable  reply  to  all 
later  applicants  of  like  order  is  the 
same  as  that  uttered  by  Mr.  Poe's 
"Raven,"  "  Never  More!" 

Although  fully  appreciating  her 
cause  for  feeling  disturbed,  I  could  not 
restrain  my  mirthful  emotions  over  her 
account  of  one  of  the  persons  who,  as 
she  termed  it,  had  made  her  drawing- 
room  for  the  time  being  ridiculous. 
She  had  received  a  note  during  the 
"season"  from  one  of  her  friends  in- 
forming her  of  their  accidental  dis- 
covery of  "  a  prodigy,  a  wonder."  A 
woman  possessed  of  a  voice  which,  as 
soon  as  it  received  a  proper  hearing, 
would  electrify  the  public ; "  adding 
that,  should  she  desire,  they  would 
endeavor  to  secure  her  for  one  of  the 
elaborate  "  At  Homes  "  for  which  her 
house  was  celebrated. 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  183 

Enthusiastic  to  claim  this  rising 
"star''  as  her  own,  she  lost  no  time, 
but  sent  an  immediate  acceptance  of 
her  friend's  offer,  doubled  her  invita- 
tions for  the  occasion,  and  meantime 
felt  unequal  to  the  task  of  occasionally 
suppressing  the  triumphant  thought 
that  she  was  possibly  on  the  eve  of  pre- 
senting a  second  Patti  to  a  grateful 
public. 

The  night  of  the  "  At  Home"  had 
arrived,  and  with  it  a  crush  of  her  most 
cultured  and  expectant  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances ;  the  evening  was  growing 
a  little  old,  and  a  feeling  of  uneasiness 
was  commencing  to  spread  among  the 
guests  that  they  might,  after  all,  be 
deprived  of  the  promised  treat,  when 
the  butler  announced  the  name  of  the 
expected  one,  which,  from  motives  of 
good-nature,  I  now  suppress. 

The  hostess  moved  eagerly  forward 
to  greet  her  prize,  a  dark-haired  woman, 
whose  jetty  tresses  were  worn  rather 


184  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

ostentatiously,  bound  with  broad  bands 
of  red  velvet  in  a  sort  of  GraBco-Roman 
fashion. 

A  white  gown  of  the  artistically 
draped  order  shrouded  her  somewhat 
lengthy  figure,  the  ensemble  creating  a 
suspicion  of  labored  effect,  (not  usually 
employed  in  society  by  the  true  artiste) 
upon  the  minds  of  the  initiated,  but 
rather  dazzling  on  the  whole  to  those 
whose  point  of  view  is  usually  restricted 
by  the  tall  hedge  surrounding  individ- 
uals in  private  life. 

It  was  evident  from  the  first  flow  of 
eloquence,  quite  unrestrained  or  abashed 
by  the  fact  of  being  a  stranger  and  the 
cynosure  of  many  eyes,  that  this  long- 
stemmed  floweret  would  never  blush  un- 
seen or  unheard,  of  her  own  volition. 

She  volubly  inquired,  "  If  she  was 
late  ?  Had  she  kept  them  waiting  ? " 
remarking  that  she  had  come  as  soon 
as  she  could  possibly  tear  herself  away 
from  the  house  of  another  well-known 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  185 

society  woman,  but  where  she  had  re- 
sisted all  entreaties  to  sing ;  having 
saved  herself  for  the  present  occasion. 
Not  even  had  she  been  prevailed  upon 
to  give  her  clamoring  friends  that 
charming  ballad,  "  The  Three  Fishers," 
for  the  singing  of  which,  she  evidently 
desired  to  impress  her  listeners,  she  was 
justly  famed. 

The  mention  of  this  pleasant  homely 
song  sounded  somewhat  incongruous 
upon  the  lips  from  which  it  was  mo- 
mentarily expected  would  issue  the 
ravishing  notes  of  an  operatic  aria,  but 
then  the  comforting  assurance  of  Chris- 
tine Nilsson  and  her  frequent  rendition 
of  "  Down  upon  the  Swanee  River" 
rescued  the  mind  of  the  hostess  from 
annoying  doubts,  and  she  asked  her 
siren  if  she  felt  equal  to  quieting  the 
feverish  impatience  of  her  guests,  and 
singing  to  them  at  once. 

The  songstress  graciously  acquiesced 
without  delav,  and  announced  she  would 


186  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

give  the  famous    duo   from    "Aida," 
first. 

This  was  more  than  some  of  those 
present  had  been  led  to  expect,  but  it 
was  beyond  any  one's  presumption  to 
inquire  why  she  should  undertake  so 
much  at  once.  The  hostess  even  feel- 
ing seriously  annoyed  with  herself  that 
across  her  mental  vision  should  pass  the 
remembrance  of  a  concert  given  by  the 
colored  waiters  of  a  watering-place  at 
which  she  was  stopping,  and  at  which 
the  master  of  ceremonies  had  announced 
that  "Messrs.  Smith,  Jones  and  Rob- 
inson, would  sing  a  quarteeter."  The 
lionne  of  the  evening  further  con- 
fided that  she  should  be  obliged  to  have 
the  front  drawing-room  cleared  of 
people,  as  she  would  like  it  entirely  to 
herself.  This  was  accomplished,  the 
now  wondering  and  awe-struck  audi- 
ence allowing  themselves  to  be  shoo'd 
around  in  most  docile  fashion.  Her  final 
request  was  for  some  "  red  drapery." 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  187 

The  eldest  child  of  the  house  was 
hurriedly  pressed  into  the  conversation 
at  this  juncture,  and  upon  being  made 
to  understand  what  was  required,  asked 
in  a  "  stage  whisper,"  "And  must  it  be 
red  ? v  Upon  being  assured  that  the 
color  was  imperative,  she  vouchsafed 
the  information  that  the  only  red  thing 
she  knew  of  in  the  house  was  the  shawl 
used  to  throw  over  the  poll-parrot's  cage 
at  night. 

She  was  sent  rapidly  in  quest  of  the 
same,  and,  placed  in  the  hands  of  the 
singer,  it  was  used  by  her  to  wind  and 
drape  about  her  shoulders  ;  the  effect 
desired  to  be  gained  thereby  having  to 
be  left  much  to  the  imagination  of  the 
beholders. 

Finally  the  gas  was  lowered  in  the 
room  now  doing  duty  as  the  stage, 
to  that  mysterious  light  reckoned  as 
romantic,  and  the  future  prima-donna 
struck  the  key-note  on  the  piano  ;  then, 
minus  any  further  accompaniment, 


188  THEATRICAL    SKETCHES. 

soared  away  into  the  intricacies  of  the 
promised  duo. 

But  what  was  this  !  A  solo  after  all  ? 
For,  reaching  the  limits  of  her  own 
part,  she  suddenly  ceased  singing,  and 
threw  herself  into  an  attitude  of  ex- 
pectancy (so  did  the  audience). 

It  proved  to  be  an  interlude  of  com- 
plete silence  during  which  the  second 
voice  was  supposed  to  be  taking  up  the 
theme. 

Matters  were  conducted  on  this  prin- 
ciple to  the  finish,  when  the  lady  strode 
toward  the  imaginary  footlights,  gave 
one  final  triumphant  note,  and  fell  flat 
on  her  back  with  her  feet  (which  can- 
dor compelled  the  hostess  to  admit 
were  not  like  "those  little  mice,  etc.,") 
to  the  audience. 

This  was  not  recognized  by  all  to  be 
a  dramatic  climax,  and,  in  their  igno- 
rance, they  came  hurriedly  forward  to 
"help  her  up,"  but  others,  less  char- 
itably inclined,  perhaps,  sought  the 


MAURICE    BARRYMORE. 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  189 

friendly  shelter  of  a  sofa-cushion,  or  a 
handkerchief,  in  which  to  bury  their 
convulsed  features. 

The  artiste  needed  no  assistance,  but 
sprang  eagerly  to  her  feet,  seeking  in 
all  directions  to  ascertain  the  effect  she 
had  produced,  especially  upon  some 
rather  illustrious  personages  present  ; 
but  the  hostess  sought  in  turn  to  save 
her  from  the  knowledge,  by  immediate 
offer  of  refreshment  and  almost  of  re- 
tirement. These  were  not  accepted,  how- 
ever, and  she  became  suddenly  aware 
that,  by  some  extraordinary  means,  the 
late  exponent  of  "  Aida"  was  occup}ring 
the  piano-stool,  and,  with  or  without 
consent,  was  narrating  to  her  already 
too  highly  amused  guests  the  woes  of 
"The  Three  Fishers." 


190  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 


B  Sitst  ^Experience  witb  a  JBusg  /foanager 
of  JBurlesque. 

THREADING  my  way  in  and  out  among 
the  crowds  thronging  Broadway  one 
sunny  morning  in  spring,  I  chanced 
upon  a  young  authoress  of  my 
acquaintance,  accompanied  by  her 
mother  and  her  business  manager. 
By  mutual  volition  we  stopped  to  ex- 
change a  few  words,  the  authoress  in- 
forming me  with  a  touch  of  pride  in  her 
voice,  that  having  written  a  burlesque, 
the  outlines  of  which  were  already 
somewhat  approved,  they  were  on  their 
way  to  keep  an  appointment,  at  his  of- 
fice, with  the  famous  manager  of  that 
branch  of  the  drama,  Mr.  Ed.  E.  Kice  ; 
adding  an  invitation  to  join  them  if  I 
so  desired. 

Being  possessed  of  sufficient  desire  to 
make  acquaintance  with  my  friend's 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  191 

latest  work,  as  well  as  to  note  its  effect 
upon  Mr.  Rice,  I  accepted  the  hastily 
proffered  invitation,  and  we  accord- 
ingly pursued  our  way  through  Thir- 
tieth Street  to  the  well-known  office. 

From  the  drift  of  her  remarks,  I  felt 
assured  the  young  woman  was  not 
fully  prepared  for  the  experience  in 
store  for  her,  and  felt  inclined  to  give 
utterance  to  some  timely  warning — 
but  refrained.  Having  had  her  path- 
way prepared,  she  evidently  expected 
to  be  ushered  into  a  quiet,  well-ordered 
apartment,  where  the  manager  would 
be  anxiously  awaiting  her  advent  to 
tender  her  the  full  hour  of  audience 
which  she  had  been  promised,  in  which 
to  discuss  in  a  leisurely  manner  the 
pros  and  cons  of  the  piece,  and,  with- 
out doubt  in  her  own  mind,  Mr.  Rice, 
at  the  close  of  the  interview,  would  be- 
come the  proud  possessor  of  the  treas- 
ured MS. 

Knowing  that   in  another   moment 


192  THEATKICAL    SKETCHES. 

the  facts  would  probably  speak  for 
themselves,  I  held  my  peace,  until  our 
entrance  into  the  office  put  a  stop  to  all 
further  confidences. 

To  the  trained  eye,  the  first  glimpse 
of  the  room  was  sufficient  to  dispel  the 
idea  of  a  lengthened  interview  with 
any  one  individual,  it  being  packed 
with  the  genus  "  variety,"  from  the 
door  to  the  screen  half  enclosing  Mr. 
Rice's  desk — each  and  all,  eager  to  be  the 
next  to  claim  the  managerial  attention. 

Indeed,  it  appeared  as  though  the 
entire  company  of  "  1492  "  (the  reign- 
ing burlesque  attraction),  including 
their  friends,  had  dropped  in  for  a 
morning  chat. 

It  had  not  yet  dawned  upon  our  no- 
vice in  ways  burlesque,  however,  that 
the  apparent  state  of  affairs  could  in 
any  way  affect  the  business  upon  which 
she  had  come  ;  regarding  the  latter,  so 
to  speak,  as  a  thing  apart ;  and  thus  she 
rested  easily  against  the  door  while  her 


THEATRICAL    SKETCH  KS.  193 

man  of  business  made  his  way  forward 
to  present  his  client's  name. 

Mr.  Eice,  rushingly  busy  as  usual, 
dotting  down  memoranda,  dictating  to 
his  type-writer  at  intervals,  and  an- 
swering "half  a  dozen  questions  at 
once,"  propounded  by  as  many  different 
people,  stopped  an  instant,  but  scarce 
taking  time  to  glance  up,  replied  in  his 
characteristic  fashion — "All  right,  ask 
the  lady  to  step  this  way." 

This  she  did,  preparatory,  as  she  sup- 
posed, to  being  led  into  some  retired 
spot  away  from  this  " madding  crowd." 
The  manager  wheeling  round  in  his 
chair  as  she  made  her  appearance, 
nodded  to  her,  remarking  :  "Miss  - 
I  believe  ?  I  shall  have  to  ask  you  to 
tell  me  what  you  can  of  this — 

"  What !  here  ?"  she  gasped,  with  an 
astonishment  that  was  pathetic. 

"Yes,"  continued  Mr.  Eice,  "  I  am 
sorry  I  cannot  give  you  the  hour  I 

mentioned,  but  I  had   forgotten  a  re- 
13 


194  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

hearsal  I  have  to  superintend,  that  will 
commence  in  about  ten  minutes."  He 
went  on  to  suggest  that,  meanwhile, 
half  of  that  precious  time  was  at  her 
disposal  in  which  to  present  to  him  a 
resume  of  her  burlesque,  and  a  general 
idea  of  the  music  ;  the  details  he  would 
look  into  later  on. 

Having  offered  her  the  best  oppor- 
tunity in  his  power  under  the  circum- 
stances, he  calmly  surveyed  the  army 
of  his  as  yet  unsatisfied  visitors  over 
the  top  of  the  young  lady's  head,  and 
prepared  to  listen  with  that  imperturb- 
able manner  born  of  necessity  and 
habit,  to  what  she  had  to  say,  although 
I  am  bound  to  state  the  facilities  for 
hearing  were  not  augmented  by  the 
chattering  of  the  motley  throng. 

A  veteran  might  have  been  equal 
to  the  situation,  and  possibly  scored  a 
success,  but  the  young  girl  in  question 
was  literally  "  struck  dumb  "  by  this 
request  to  "state  her  case"  within  the 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  195 

limit  given,  and  amidst  the  din  confus- 
ing her.  She  finally  faltered  out, 
"That  it  would  be  better  for  her  to 
come  upon  another  occasion,  and — 
and — 

The  manager  bowed,  wasted  no  time 
in  remonstrance,  and  simply  proceeded 
with  the  "next  in  turn." 

The  bewildered  young  woman,  slip- 
ping from  the  room  followed  by  her 
friends,  made  her  way  rapidly  to  the 
street,  where  they  stopped  and  held  a 
semi-indignation  meeting,  and  for  the 
moment  I  fear  scarcely  appreciated  my 
remark,  that  though  the  little  encoun- 
ter had  scarcely  been  of  an  agreeable 
nature  to  them,  at  the  same  time  they 
must  appreciate  the  fact  that  Mr.  Kice, 
though  but  one  single  individual,  evi- 
dently found  it  necessary  to  attempt  the 
work  of  six,  and,  therefore,  with  the  very 
best  intentions,  could  not  fail  to  en- 
counter difficulties  in  trying  to  fulfil  and 
meet  the  requirements  of  all. 


196  THliATKIUAL  SKETCHES. 


Jottings. 

IT  is  curious  to  note  the  evolution  of 
the  wheel  of  fortune,  the  rotations  of 
which  can  perhaps  be  followed  more 
clearly  in  the  dramatic  profession  than 
any  other,  for  the  reason  that  their  lives 
are  more  en  evidence  than  those  whose 
affairs  force  them  less  before  the  public. 

Years  ago  when  the  "  Star  Theatre  " 
was  not  the  "Star,  "but  "Wallack's," 
and  considered  as  well  the  most  fash- 
ionable place  of  amusement  in  the  city, 
Lester  Wallack  was  regarded  as  the 
head  and  front  of  theatrical  manage- 
ment, the  handsomest  actor  on  the 
stage,  and  one  of  the  most  elegant  men 
about  town.  He  rarely  walked  a  block 
in  the  street  that  he  was  not  privately 
as  well  as  openly  followed  by  admiring 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  197 

femininity,  his  picture  probably  adorned 
the  dressing-table  of  nearly  every  girl 
in  town,  and  being  of  good  English 
family,  as  well  as  a  man  of  charmingly 
cultivated  intellect  and  taste,  his  pres- 
tige in  every  way  was  unquestioned, 
making  the  history  of  his  life  that  of 
success  and  pleasure  unrivalled. 

He  simply  coined  money,  both  at  his 
own  theatre  and  throughout  the  coun- 
try ;  "Wallack's  yacht,"  "country 
houses,"  "coach,"  and  all  that  attend 
upon  such  luxuries,  were  discussed,  but 
at  the  same  time,  to  a  certain  extent, 
taken  as  a  matter  of  course. 

The  receipts  poured  in  so  naturally, 
so  ceaselessly,  that  little  wonder  it  never 
occurred  to  this  favored  being  that  any 
other  condition  of  affairs  was  possible. 
At  the  time  of  his  greatest  opulence 
Theodore  Moss  was  in  Wallack's  em- 
ploy. The  former  was  plodding  and 
methodical,  and  he  gradually  became 
very  useful  to  the  brilliant  actor,  who 


198  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

left  the  arrangement  of  business  de- 
tails more  and  more  in  his  hands.  To 
give  some  idea  of  the  amount  of  money 
that  Mr.  Wallack  had  at  his  command, 
he  bought  a  yacht  and  a  house  at 
Long  Branch  one  year,  for  which  he 
paid,  cash  down,  ninety  thousand  dol- 
lars ;  but,  though  his  capacity  for  mak- 
ing money  seemed  unlimited,  his  ca- 
pacity for  business  was  nil. 

The  only  instance  on  record  of  his 
being  extremely  cautious,  was  when 
visiting  Budd's  furnishing  store  one 
day  in  company  with  one  of  his  sons, 
when,  after  having  given  an  order  for 
two  or  three  hundred  dollars'  worth  of 
goods,  and  handing  in  his  check  for  the 
same,  he  remarked:  "Now,  Budd,  I 
want  a  receipt  for  this,  if  you  please." 
His  son  laughingly  tried  to  convince 
him  that  the  witnesses  to  the  transac- 
tion, and  his  own  check  and  stub  would 
be  a  sufficient  guarantee  against  any 
trouble  that  possibly  might  arise  in  the 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  199 

future,  but  Mr.  Wallack  gravely  per- 
sisted in  having  the  receipt. 

As  a  contrast  to  the  above,  he  would 
certify  checks,  leaving  the  amount  blank 
for  Mr.  Moss  to  fill  in  ;  the  latter  could 
then  at  any  time  have  made  one  out 
for  every  cent  Mr.  Wallack  was  worth. 
Monies  were  also  put  in  the  bank  under 
the  name  of  Moss  to  save  Mr.  Wallack 
the  trouble  of  making  his  own  deposits. 

This  almost  culpable  carelessness 
could  lead  to  but  one  result  :  the  Thir- 
tieth Street  theatre  was  built  under  his 
supervision,  but  from  that  time  on, 
matters  went  from  bad  to  worse,  one 
piece  of  property  after  another  was 
sold  to  meet  demands  which  in  some 
way  never  could  be  satisfied,  and  the 
end? 

Mr.  Wallack  died,  a  few  years  since, 
a  comparatively  poor  man. 


Mr.  A.  M.  Palmer,  who  shares  with 


200          THEATRICAL  SKETCHES. 

Mr.  Atigustin  Daly  the  leading  mana- 
gerial honors  of  to-day,  strikes  one  as 
another  instance  of  reversing  the  origi- 
nal order  of  things. 

In  earlier  days  he  held  the  post  of 
Librarian  of  the  "  Mercantile  Library," 
then,  as  now,  located  in  Astor  Place. 

Later  on,  be  became  interested  in 
various  matters  with  Mr.  Sheridan 
Shook,  manager  of  what  had  become 
the  famous  "Union  Square  Theatre  ;" 
justly  so,  because  of  its  magnificent 
stock-company,  fine  selection  of  plays, 
and  the  manner  in  which  the  same 
were  presented  to  the  public. 

The  relations  of  Shook  and  Palmer 
became  more  consolidated  as  time  went 
on,  until,  as  is  sometimes  the  case  in  a 
close  race,  when  the  bystanders  notice 
the  nose  of  the  rear  horse  creep  up  and 
shoot  by  the  leader,  until,  to  return  to 
the  men  in  question,  the  name  of  A.  M. 
Palmer  stood  alone  as  that  of  winner, 
and  Mr.  Shook  was  —  well,  I  don't  ex- 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  201 

actly  know  where,  but  justly,  how- 
ever, "to  the  victor  belongs  the  spoils." 

To  those  who  regard  a  prominent 
manager's  judgment  of  a  play,  after 
reading  it,  as  infallible,  it  will  be  sur- 
prising to  know  that  Mr.  Palmer  is 
quoted  as  saying  he  has  about  con- 
cluded that  it  is  somewhat  in  the  light 
of  an  impossibility  to  predict  what 
might,  or  might  not,  be  a  success  with 
the  public,  until  after  the  curtain  has 
been  rung  down  on  the  first  represent- 
ation, and  a  few  weeks  later  this 
utterance  was  verified  in  the  following 
manner. 

At  an  entertainment  to  be  given  at 
his  theatre  two  one-act  plays  were  to 
make  up  a  portion  of  the  programme, 
a  tragedy  and  a  comedy. 

After  perusing  both,  Mr.  Palmer 
dropped  the  tragedy  MS.  on  the  table 
before  him,  remarking,  "  I  don't  think 
anything  of  that,  but  this,"  referring 
to  the  comedy,  "is  good,  and  will  sue- 


20'2  THEATRICAL    SKETCHES. 

ceed."  His  verdict  was  promptly 
reversed,  three  weeks  after,  by  the 
audience  before  whom  the  plays  were 
given,  and  by  the  newspaper  accounts 
the  following  morning. 

The  tragedy  held  the  people  breath- 
less, and  called  forth  exhaustive  criti- 
cism from  the  press,  while  the  comedy 
was  merely  mentioned  as  having  been 
given  a  place  on  the  programme. 


Augustin  Daly — regarded  as  the 
great  disciplinarian  manager — is  so  re- 
spected, feared  and  omnipresent  with 
his  company  that  in  the  old  days  at 
least  of  his  reign  over  them,  at  the 
"Fifth  Avenue  Theatre,"  he  was  often 
referred  to  by  the  less  reverent  mem- 
bers of  his  troupe  as  "  God,"  some  even 
going  so  far  as  to  kneel  daily  on  the 
mat  outside  the  closed  door  of  his  priv- 
ate room  in  the  play-house,  and  offer 
up  prayers. 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  203 

The  fact  that  he  made  it  a  rule  not 
to  notice  the  members  of  his  company 
outside  the  theatre  was  a  matter  of 
sore  speculation  with  some,  and  cer- 
tainly did  not  meet  their  approval. 
Mr.  Louis  James  proving  to  be  one  of 
these.  Soon  after  being  engaged  by 
Mr.  Daly,  he  met  him  and  his  brother, 
Judge  Daly,  on  the  street ;  not  knowing 
of  the  above  rule,  he  bowed  to  them 
both  ;  the  judge  recognized  Mr.  James, 
but  the  manager  did  not,  and  it  then 
became  a  sort  of  "  war-to-the-knife " 
feeling  with  the  actor,  so  much  so  that, 
during  the  three  years  he  remained 
under  him,  he  never  spoke'to  the  man- 
ager except  in  the  way  of  business,  and, 
I  fear,  despite  the  value  of  his  services, 
in  a  quiet  way  made  himself  somewhat 
of  a  thorn  in  the  managerial  flesh.  Miss 
Fanny  Davenport  and  Mr.  James  had 
made  their  appearance  in  public  some- 
where about  the  same  period  at  Mrs. 
Drew's  theatre  in  Philadelphia,  and, 


204  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

happening  to  become  good  friends,  it 
naturally  followed  when  they  found 
themselves  together  in  Mr.  Daly's  com- 
pany that  their  good  fellowship  so  to 
speak,  should  continue.  Thus  in  the 
intervals  of  rehearsal,  or  between  acts, 
they  indulged  in  many  a  gay  chat, 
sometimes  standing  by  the  door  of  Miss 
Davenport's  dressing-room,  sometimes 
elsewhere. 

This  evidently  caused  the  manager 
displeasure,  as  ere  long  a  notice  was 
posted  up  to  the  effect,  "That  any 
of  the  ladies  or  gentlemen  of  the  com- 
pany found  conversing  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  dressing-rooms,  or  during 
the  progress  of  a  performance,  would 
be  fined,"  so  much.  Mr.  James' dress- 
ing-room at  that  time  happened  to 
be  directly  over  Miss  Davenport's,  with 
one  large  window  extending  through 
both,  so,  after  the  notice  appeared,  as  a 
mild  form  of  revenge  and  annoyance, 
the  actor  and  actress  indulged  in  un- 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  205 

usually  lengthy  confabs,  using  the 
window  as  a  means  of  communica- 
tion. 

On  another  occasion  during  the  re- 
hearsal of  a  play  which  had  been  placed 
"under  the  ban"  by  the  whole  com- 
pany, and  when  they  thought  them- 
selves alone,  the  body  of  the  theatre 
being  shrouded  in  extreme  darkness, 
Mr.  James  had  just  finished  a  stilted 
scene,  which  to  express  his  contempt  of, 
he  gave  a  sort  of  "  Flo wers-of -Spring  " 
hop,  tra  la,  as  he  made  his  exit— but 
was  surprised  to  hear  himself  suddenly 
recalled  by  a  stern  and  uncompromising 
voice  that  seemed  to  arise  from  the  ap- 
parently untenanted  orchestra. 

"Mr.  James." 

Reappearing  on  the  stage,  and  look- 
ing in  the  direction  from  which  the 
voice  emanated — Mr.  James  answered 
quickly,  "Yes,  sir." 

"  Do  you  intend,"  continued  the 
voice,  "to  use  that  piece  of  business  in 


206  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

which  you  have  just  indulged  in  your 
part,  when  presenting  it  before  the 
public  ? " 

Mr.  James  replied  in  an  equally  im- 
pressive tone:  "I  really  don't  know, 
Mr.  Daly,  I  haven't  quite  decided  the 
matter  as  yet." 

Notwithstanding  peculiarities,  Mr. 
Daly's  policy  has  proved  a  good  one,  for 
the  years  come  and  go,  only  to  find  him 
mounting  higher  and  higher  the  lad- 
der of  success  and  prosperity,  and  to 
realize  that  his  name  is  a  power  on 
both  sides  of  the  Atlantic. 


Miss  Ada  Rehan,  Daly's  present 
"  leading  lady, "  represents  a  striking 
example  of  the  limitless  good  fortune 
that  may  be  attained  by  a  woman  pos- 
sessed of  talent  and  perseverance. 

Who,  to  contemplate  this  peerless 
creature,  can  imagine  that  her  life  has 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  207 

ever  been  otherwise  than  it  is  at  present ! 
And  yet  it  has  been  different,  more  to 
her  credit  be  it  said. 

Among  the  guests  of  a  theatre 
party  visiting  ' '  Daly's  "  one  evening  was 
a  very  charming  Irishman,  a  well- 
known  man  about  town.  As  Miss  Re- 
han  made  her  exit,  at  the  finish  of  the 
first  act  of  the  piece  being  presented, 
amidst  the  vociferous  applause  of  the 
large  audience  present,  the  gentleman 
emitted  a  little  sigh  of  satisfaction,  re- 
marking softly,  "Well,  well,  it  is 
difficult  to  realize  that  little  Biddy  and 
the  queenly  Ada  are  the  same. " 

Upon  being  pressed  for  an  explana- 
tion of  this,  he  confided  the  fact  to  his 
friends,  that  when  his  father  was  alive 
and  living  in  Ireland,  "Biddy,"  as  he 
called  her,  with  other  children,  ran 
barefoot  over  the  estate. 

It  is  a  wonderful  thing  to  realize 
how  Miss  Rehan  has  worked  her  way 
up  patiently,  step  by  step,  until  she  has 


208  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

reached   the    first  position.      Truly,    a 
magnificent  example  of  courage. 


Mr.  Charles  Hoyt,  the  phenomenally 
successful  manager  and  author  from 
New  Hampshire,  has  ever  a  dry,  hu- 
morous, unpretentious  manner  of  re- 
garding matters,  and  apparently  him- 
self included. 

A  young  playwright  was  transacting 
some  business  with  Mr.  Charles  W. 
Thomas,  the  late  partner  of  Mr.  Hoyt, 
in  their  joint  office  one  morning,  when 
the  latter  came  in.  After  a  little  des- 
ultory conversation,  the  author  said, 
"  Mr.  Hoyt,  what  is  one  to  do  '?  Give  me 
your  advice,  for,  having  been  so  suc- 
cessful, you  can  afford  to."  Mr.  Hoyt 
inquired  upon  what  subject,  and  the 
young  woman  replied,  "  Well,  my 
plays  are  acknowledged  to  be  good  by 
any  number  of  critics,  and  yet  the 
market  seems  so  overstocked  it  is  al- 


THEAT1UCAL   SKETCHES.  20'J 

most  an  impossibility  to  obtain  a  pro- 
duction for  them." 

Mr.  Hoyt  replied  briskly:  "Well,  I 
don't  know  that  I  can  be  of  any  ser- 
vice to  you,  for  the  cases  are  different. 
No  one  ever  took  any  particular  notice 
of  the  plays  I  wrote,  until  I  just  hired 
my  own  theatre  and  brought  them 
out  myself." 

The  result  of  Mr.  Hoyt's  policy  re- 
quires no  comment. 


Peculiar  coincidences  come  to  light 
now  and  then  in  the  profession,  leav- 
ing the  participants  thereof  a  prey  to 
certain  superstitious  feelings. 

Several  years  since,  a  burlesque  was 
written  for  an  amateur  troupe  of 
young  men  ;  the  author  of  the  same 
being  especially  admonished  to  create 
a  particularly  "fat  part,"  for  one  of 
the  members,  Mr.  James  K.  Hackett, 

who   was  considered  by  many  to   dis- 
14 


210  THEATRICAL    SKETCHES. 

tance  any  of  the  performers  belonging 
to  the  "  Columbia  Dramatic"  organiza- 
tion; but,  as  the  latter  would  not  admit 
that  such  was  the  case,  the  young 
aspirant  for  amateur  dramatic  honor 
(then  studying  to  be  admitted  to  the 
bar)  was  to  be  given  this  opportunity  to 
demonstrate  the  fact  beyond  a  ques- 
tion. 

The  performance  was  given,  and  the 
role  allotted  to  Mr.  Hackett  was  of  a 
dashing,  brilliant  order,  in  which  he 
realized  the  fondest  hopes  of  his  cham- 
pions ;  indeed,  he  made  an  unqualified 
success  of  it.  This  fact  naturally  im- 
pressed him  with  friendly  feeling  to- 
wards the  author  of  the  piece.  Two  years 
passed,  however,  and  neither  of  them 
had  met.  The  latter  had  been  told,  or 
been  given  to  understand  in  some  vague 
way  that  the  young  man  who  burlesqued 
Carmencita's  dancing  so  wonderfully 
had  abandoned  the  study  of  law  and 
entered  the  theatrical  profession  ;  but 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  211 

one  morning  about  this  time,  while  two 
of  her  short  plays  were  in  course  of 
rehearsal  at  "Palmer's  Theatre,"  hap- 
pening to  glance  up,  she  saw  Mr. 
Hackett  making  his  way  on  from  the 
wings.  After  the  ordinary  greetings 
the  playwright  inquired,  "And  what 
brings  you  here  ? " 

' '  The  very  question  I  was  going  to  pro- 
pound to  you,"  replied  the  young  actor. 

11  Why,  I  am  watching  the  rehearsal 
of  two  of  my  pieces,"  she  answered. 

"  And  I  have  been  sent  to  take  a 
small  part  in  one  or  other  of  them,"  he 
responded,  "  though  I  did  not  know  they 
were  yours." 

Mutual  explanations  followed,  and 
later  on,  when  the  "leading  man  "  en- 
gaged for  one  of  the  plays  failed  to 
appear,  Mr.  Hackett  was  given  the 
position  and  thus  made  his  profes- 
sional debut  in  a  character  of  any  im- 
portance in  a  play  by  the  same  author 
as  that  of  the  burlesque.  Making 


212  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

a  success  of  it  he  was  now  inspired 
with  a  certain  superstition  in  regard  to 
her  work,  and  some  months  later  he 
arranged  to  tour  a  part  of  the  country 
in  another  of  her  pieces.  He  made  con- 
siderable reputation  for  himself  in  this, 
and  the  author  is  now  to  write  a  play 
to  order  for  him,  of  which  he  hopes  to 
make  a  notable  production. 


Lotta,  the  sprightly  little  creature  of 
whom  the  public  was  so  fond,  has  left  a 
great  gap  by  withdrawing  herself  from 
the  boards  of  late,  let  us  hope  not  per- 
manently. Notwithstanding  her  great 
popularity,  I  remember  her  vacation 
life  at  Lake  George — when  she  hired  a 
little  cottage  two  or  three  miles  down 
the  lake  from  the  "  Fort  William 
Henry  Hotel—  was  simplicity  itself. 
There  she  remained  the  whole  sum- 
mer through  with  the  members  of  her 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  213 

family,  and  an  occasional  friend  to  visit 
them. 

With  her  fine  auburn  hair  hanging 
down  her  back  in  large  soft  curls,  and 
a  muslin  slip-dress  on,  she  looked  little 
more  than  a  child  ;  and  her  chief  delight 
was  to  find  some  one  who  would  play 
croquet  with  her,  which  game  she  would 
indulge  in  as  long  as  there  was  a  part- 
ner to  be  had. 

One  day,  while  discussing  matters 
theatrical,  she  observed  it  was  wonder- 
ful the  trifles  that  could  disturb  her  part 
in  a  play,  unless  they  happened  to  be  just 
so. 

In  one  piece,  a  portion  of  her  costume 
consisted  of  an  old  sunbonnet,  which 
she  was  in  the  habit  of  pulling  and  shov- 
ing all  over  her  head  during  her  scene, 
and  she  declared  she  became  so  depend- 
ent upon  it,  that  had  it  been  missing 
at  any  time,  she  veritably  believed  she 
should  not  have  been  able  to  get 
through  with  her  part,  for  she  had 


214  THEATRICAL   SKETCHES. 

experienced  something  of  the  same 
description  in  another  play.  It  was 
one  in  which  she  dressed  as  a  boy,  and 
her  greatest  comfort  while  in  this  garb 
was  to  thrust  her  hands  into  her 
trousers'  pockets. 

Her  mother  had  remonstrated  with 
her  in  vain  for  doing  this,  but  to  no 
avail,  so,  without  apprising  her  daugh- 
ter of  the  fact,  Mrs.  Crabtree  sewed 
the  pockets  up  one  fine  day. 

The  same  night,  when  Lotta  came 
bounding  on  to  the  stage,  and  her 
hands  sought  their  usual  resting-place, 
they  sought  in  vain,  and  consternation 
claimed  the  little  actress  for  its  own. 
In  fact,  so  thoroughly  did  this  altera- 
tion upset  her  that  she  completely 
forgot  her  part  for  the  time  being,  and 
did  not  regain  her  equilibrium  until  the 
scissors  were  brought  into  play,  arid 
ripped  up  the  mischief  done. 


THEATRICAL    SKETCHES.  215 

Mr.  Barnabee,  the  genial  and  digni- 
fied "Sheriff  of  Nottingham,"  in  De 
Koven's  opera  of  "Robin  Hood,"  and 
third  part  proprietor  of  the  organization 
known  as  the  ' '  Bostonians, "  according  to 
his  own  showing,  made  a  very  modest 
beginning  of  his  theatrical  career. 

When  quite  a  young  man  he  was  em- 
ployed in  the  dry-goods  store  of  a  well- 
known  Boston  merchant,  and  he,  with 
some  young  men  of  his  acquaintance 
having  aspirations  of  their  own,  organ- 
ized a  dramatic  club  for  diversion  in 
the  evenings,  indulging  in  anything 
theatrical  their  fancy  dictated. 

He  had  been  for  some  time  employed 
in  the  store,  but  had  never  as  yet  en- 
countered the  proprietor,  who  was 
popularly  supposed  to  be  a  somewhat 
austere  person  ;  therefore,  when  one 
morning  he  was  suddenly  summoned  to 
his  presence  in  the  latter's  private  office, 
the  young  clerk's  heart  felt  anything 
but  normal  in  its  workings,  and  his 


216          THEATRICAL  SKETCHES. 

mind  searched  vainly  to  discern  in 
what  he  had  been  derelict,  for  he  could 
not  imagine  the  summons  portended 
anything  less  than  dismissal. 

His  employer  commenced  the  inter- 
view by  telling  him  that  the  evening 
before  he  had  witnessed  an  amateur 
performance  in  which  he  had  recog- 
nized him,  Barnabee,  as  taking  part. 
The  latter's  spirits  now  sank  to  zero, 
feeling  positive  he  detected  signs  of  dis- 
approval in  the  tones  of  the  former  ; 
what  was  his  surprise,  however,  at  the 
unexpected  ending. 

"Now,"  continued  the  gentleman, 
"my  wife  and  family  being  away  in 
the  country,  I  am  proposing  to  give  a 
'  stag '  dinner,  at  which  I  desire  all  the 
guests  shall  personate  an  especial 
character.  I  thought  your  acting 
proved  you  to  be  especially  clever  in 
dialect  Yankee  parts,  and  I  should  like 
you  to  attend  the  repast  as  my  down- 
east  country  cousin. " 


THEATRICAL   SKETCHES.  217 

The  relief  occasioned  by  the  purport 
of  this  interview  was  of  course  very 
great,  and  Mr.  Barnabee  made  haste  to 
accept  the  invitation  extended. 

The  dinner  proved  a  great  success, 
the  various  characters  all  being  well 
portrayed,  and  it  was,  in  consequence, 
productive  of  much  mirth. 

After  this,  one  circumstance  led  to 
another,  until  Mr.  Barnabee  realized 
the  dry-goods  store  was  a  thing  of  the 
past,  and  the  stage  his  profession. 


Napoleon, 

Lover  and  Husband 

BY  FREDERIC  MASSON 


Translated   from   the   I4th   French   Edition 
ByJ.  M.  HOWELL 


FIVE    PHOTOGRAVURE    PLATES,    320    PAGES, 
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*  *  *  *  Frederic  Masson  has  undertaken  to  reveal  the  lover's 
side,  as  it  may  be  called,  of  Napoleon,  from  the  precocious  youth 
to  the  day  that  he  died  at  St.  Helena.     The  book  is  what  might 
be  called  a  "revelation,"  for,  though  many  of  the  names  and 
episodes  treated  have  been  vaguely  touched  before,  the  present 
author    has    buttressed    his    statements  by  documents  which   a 
court  of  law  would   be  compelled  to  pronounce  unimpeachable. 
And,   indeed,   without   documents,   the    Napoleon   presented  in 
Frederic  Masson's  volume,  "  Napoleon,   Lover  and    Husband," 
would  be  hardly  credible,  for,  if  there  is  one  saliency  in  Napo- 
leon's character  that  stands  out  beyond  others  in  the  recorded 
actions  of  his  life,  it  is  his  determined  hostility  to  feminine  inter- 
ference in  affairs  of  state,  or  even  affairs  of  the  family.     It  was 
his  supposed  impassive  indifference  to  the  sex  that  first  won  him 
the  incredulous  interest  of  the  Parisians,  when,  as  the  head  of 
the   Italian  army  at  twenty-five,  he  sternl/  put  aside  the  usual 
gallantries  that  follow  "  war's  alarms,"  and  found  time  only  for 
conjugal  letters  to  the  absent  Josephine. 

*  *  *  *  Paris,  and  indeed  all  Europe,  seems  to  be  struck  with 
the  remarkable  recrudescence  of   the  Napoleonic  legends.     Not 
only  are  plays  reviving  the  career  of  Napoleon  presented  on  two 
or  three   of   the    Parisian   stages   simultaneously,   but   half  the 
national  periodicals  are  deep  in  new  "studies"  of  the   extinct 
volcano.     Masson's  book,  which,  it  is  no  exaggeration  to  say.  is 
exciting  a  sensation  from  St.   Petersburg   to    Rome,   derives   its 
chief  force  from  the   fact  that  the  revelations  are    drawn  from 
friendly  sources,  and  the  writer  presents  the  result  rather  in  the 
spirit  of  a  philosophic  and  admiring  friend  than  a  severe  censor 
of  morals  or  a  critic  of  character. 


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UNCLE  BENJAMINg) 


A     HUMOROUS    AND     •     •     •     • 
•     •     PHILOSOPHICAL    NOVEL 


CLAUDE   TILLIER 


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A  novel  unlike  any  other,  by  an  author  unlike  any  other;  a 
novel  that  has  no  equivalent  in  the  literature  of  this  century; 
a  novel  which,  despite  the  pessimism  with  which  it  opens  and  the 
pathos  with  which  it  closes,  must  take  rank  among  the  wittiest 
and  most  humorous  ever  written;  a  novel  of  philosophy,  of  prog- 
ress, of  reality,  of  humanity;  a  novel  of  the  heart  and  of  the 
head;  a  novel  which  is  less  a  work  of  art  than  a  work  of  genius. 


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Richardson's,  Marryatt's,  or  any  of  the  old  English  novels,  for 
its  hearty,  healthy  sense  and  sentiment  and  its  sound  or  curious 
characters." 

The  Boston  Post  says :  "  It  is  a  pessimistic  and  sombre  story, 
but  not  without  a  strong  charm  of  human  sympathy  and  interest, 
and  relieved  by  the  ready  wit  and  a  finely  flavored  humor  that 
touches  upon  the  philosophical." 

The  Chicago  Figaro  says:  "How  can  one  better  describe  a 
favorite  book  than  by  acknowledging  that  in  finishing  the  last 
chapter  one  feels  as  if  an  old  friend  were  gone  ?  It  is  this  feeling 
which  we  have  in  closing  the  covers  of  '  My  Uncle  Benjamin.'  " 


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A  DELIGHTFUL  STORY  OF  EARLY  DAYS  IN  MARYLAND. 
BY 

M.  Q.  MCCLELLAND 

AUTHOR   OF 

"  BROADOAKS."    "OBLIVION,"  "PRINCESS," 
ETC. 

With  Photogravure  Frontispiece, 

i6mo,  Oblong,  Cloth,  Gilt  Top. 

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PRESS     RElZIEiztfS 

"The  reader  will  derive  unalloyed  pleasure,  both 
from  the  tale  and  from  the  delightful  style  in  which  it  is 
told." — New  Orleans  Picayune. 

"This  is  a  romance  containing  plenty  of  incident, 
and  vigorous  in  its  telling.  It  is  a  story  well  calculated 
to  hold  the  interest  of  the  reader." — N.  Y.  Siui. 

"Is  another  of  M.  G.  McClelland's  literary  gems." 
— Baltimore  American. 

"A  story  of  vigor  and  picturesqueness." — Town 
Topics. 

"  The  story  is  a  thing  of  beauty." — Boston  Ideas. 

"  This  is  a  charming  little  story  and  one  that  will  be 
read  with  pleasure." — Savannah  Arews. 

"This  is  a  delightfully  told  story  of  the  old'days." 
— Boston  Times. 

"  To  begin  it  is  to  read  it." — Philadelphia  Call. 

".  .  .  It  leaves  a  pleasant  taste  in  the  mind,  so 
to  speak,  and  is  well  worth  reading." — Burlington 
Hawkey e. 


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Broadoaks . . . 

A  Delightful  Story  of  Virginian  Life 


M.  G.  McClelland 


ILLUSTRATED  BY  CHARLES  EDWARD  BOUTVVOOD 


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This  is  one  of  the  most  delightful  stories  that  ever 
flowed  from  the  facile  pen  of  this  author.  As  a  story 
of  the  South  —  for  the  South  is  Miss  McClelland's 
favorite  locale  —  it  should  take  high  rank  and  with  com- 
mensurate popularity,  for  Southern  stories  have  a  charm 
all  their  own—  a  charm  so  indefinable  and  elusive  that 
it  cannot  be  analyzed.  Few  authors  write  well  of  the 
South.  It  requires  an  especial  faculty  not  often  pos- 
sessed. Northern  types  and  traits  may  be  treated 
sketchily,  after  the  snapshot  system;  but  when  one 
takes  up  one's  pen  to  write  of  the  paradise  that  lies 
below  Mason  and  Dixon's  line  one  must  necessarily  be 
imbued  with  sympathy,  sentiment,  something  of  the 
inborn  poesy  of  nature,  else  one's  work  will  be  neither 
effective,  natural,  nor  artistic.  There  is  throughout 
the  book  that  delicacy  of  touch  which  betrays  the  finer 
instinct;  that  graphic  quality  of  description  which  sug- 
gests knowledge  and  acquaintance,  and  that  occasional 
tenderness  of  treatment  which  tells  its  own  story. 
"Broadoaks"  is  a  strong  creation,  one  that  will  add 
materially  to  its  author's  already  widespread  national 
fame. 

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A  Common  Mistake, 

The  Story  of  a  New 
York  Society  Girl    . 

BY 

Jeanne    7VI.    Hovtrell 

12mo,  Cloth,  5O  Cts.^) 

Sylvia  Gilchrist  is  an  epitome  of  the  undisciplined, 
brilliant,  nervous  young  womanhood  of  America.  Gifted 
with  an  exceptionally  fine  physique  and  of  bright  mind, 
she  only  knows  her  power  to  wield  it  capriciously  and 
of  her  own  sweet  will.  The  book  is  delightful,  and 
every  trunk  packed  for  seashore  or  mountain  should 
contain  a  copy. 

PRESS    NOTICES 

The  New  York  Morning  Journal  says:  "  This  is  a  story 
distinctly  superior  to  three-fourths  of  the  fiction  that  is  poured  in 
a  flood  upon  the  counters  of  the  booksellers." 

The  Boston  Traveller  says  :  "  It  is  one  of  the  best  novels  of 
the  season." 

The  Chicago  Saturday  Evening  Herald  says :  "  This  novel 
is  a  decidedly  clever  piece  of  work." 

The  Grand  Rapids  Review  says:  "...  It  is  more  than  a 
fascinating  story.  It  is  a  study,  and  a  careful  study,  of  that  most 
delightful,  but  little  understood,  creature,  the  'society  girl.'" 


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I.INGUA  GEMMAE  * 

A  Cycle  of  Gems  by  ADA  L  BUTTON 


Profusely  Illustrated    by   flary  Fairman 
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HP  HIS  little  book  is  the  most  complete  thing 
of  the  kind  ever  published.  It  com- 
prises a  description  of  one  hundred  precious 
stones,  with  their  poetic  selections,  properties, 
localities,  and  sentiments,  and  the  explanations 
are  clear,  concise  and  comprehensive,  and  as  a 
Hand-Book  of  Precious  Gems  the  book  will 
be  invaluable  to  jewellers  and  lapidaries. 

The  poems  have  been  selected  from  the  most 
popular  poets  of  the  day,  and  with  its  dainty 
binding  and  attractive  illustrations,  LINGUA 
GEMM.-E  will  prove  one  of  the  most  tempting 
gift-books  published  for  the  holidays. 


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Belle-Plante  •  and  •  Cornelius 

.  .  BY  .  . 

CLAUDE  TILLIER 

Author  of  "My  Uncle  Benjamin" 


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One  cannot  have  too  much  of  Claude  Tillier.  He  stands  forth 
in  bold  relief  as  an  eloquent  example  of  the  rugged,  honest 
style  of  the  past,  made  more  effective  by  virtue  of  contrast  with 
the  conventional,  artificial  style  of  to-day.  He  appeals  to  us 
with  an  old  gospel  newly  interpreted — the  gospel  of  humanity. 
He  calls  a  spade  a  spade,  and  speaks  from  the  heart.  Others 
have  done  the  former,  but  so  few,  comparatively  speaking,  have 
done  the  latter  that  Tillier  is  almost  unique. 

As  a  story  "  Belle-Plante  and  Cornelius"  may  not  have  the 
direct  human  interest  of  "  My  Uncle  Benjamin";  but,  as  a  keen 
and  sympathetic  study  of  the  fair  ideal  and  the  bald  real,  of  the 
higher  and  baser  instincts  of  man,  of  the  diversity  of  types,  of 
the  compensations  of  genius,  and  of  the  charms  of  the  muck- 
rake, it  ranks  far  above  the  other  book.  Belle-Plante  and  his 
brother,  Cornelius,  are  as  undeniable  types  of  to-day  and  of  every 
age  as  are  Dives  and  Lazarus.  Belle-Plante  represents  the  spirit 
of  greed  which  nurses  the  real  because  of  its  intrinsic  value  as  a 
marketable  commodity.  Cornelius  stands  for  the  Sisyphus  who 
toils  up  the  slope  which  leads  to  the  height  of  fame,  hampered 
at  every  step,  strained  at  every  point,  and  frequently  borne  back- 
ward by  the  weight  of  the  commonplace.  Belle-Plante  is  the 
plodder,  Cornelius  is  the  poet.  Belle-Plante  is  the  world,  which 
exacts  every  farthing  of  tribute  ere  it  will  listen  to  the  dreaming 
Cornelius.  Belle-Plante  is  humanity,  which  steals  the  fruits  of 
genius  and  leaves  Cornelius  penniless.  Cornelius  is  Tillier,  but 
slightly  idealized,  while  Belle-Plante  is  the  ill  fortune  which 
robbed  the  world  of  a  philosopher.  In  refusing  to  give  his  brother 
meat  and  drink,  Belle-Plante  merely  gives  the  highest  expression 
to  commercial  benevolence. 


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